Bridge of Spies - directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tom Hanks, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda, Mark Rylance, Eve Hewson, Peter McRobbie, Austin Stowell, Billy Magnussen, Michael Gaston, Sebastian Koch, Domenick Lombardozzi
Running Time: 141 minutes
Rated: M - One f-bomb and very, very mild violence
Spielberg is in "Lincoln" / "Catch Me If You Can" mode with this movie and that suits me just fine.
I like his slower, more studied films of this ilk.
And pretty much every time he teams up with Tom Hanks you end up with something good.
This is their fourth collaboration and the only miss in the pack is "The Terminal".
While this movie is neither as serious as "Lincoln" or as coolly funny as "Catch Me If You Can" it continues the 'based on a true story' period nature of those movies.
In this case it is late 1950's to early 1960's cold war America.
Tom Hanks plays lawyer James Donovan - a man who was asked to defend a man accused of spying for Soviet Russia.
Later he was involved in a prisoner exchange involving the same man.
If you are concerned that this movie looks like one big courtroom drama you shouldn't be.
Very little takes place in court and most of the film takes place outside of the United States.
If you are worried that it looks slow on the other hand.... you are probably right to be.
When we first meet James Donovan he is arguing a point relating to an insurance claim.
It is a nice banter filled scene that establishes Donovan as a sort of calmer, more down to Earth version of Carl Hanratty from "Catch Me If You Can".
Both characters are very, very good at what they do and very, very straight down the line when it comes to playing by the rules - mostly.
It is hard to imagine anyone but Hanks in this role.
Not only because he is great as usual but because he is quite unique in his ability to create all American Dad type figures who still have a bit of cool to them.
As I watched him in this film I tried to imagine a replacement and never managed to come up with anyone suitable.
He carries this film appearing in all but a scant few scenes.
Prior to Donovan's introduction we meet the other star of the show.
Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel -the Russian spy delivers a wonderfully understated performance as a man who never looks more than mildly inconvenienced by his being tried for espionage.
When Donovan mentions that he doesn't look worried by his suggestion that the electric chair may be in his future Abel replies 'Would it help?'
As good as Hanks is it was Rylance's work that I enjoyed most.
The role has no glamour, no action and Rylance is never required to deliver lines at above normal volume but he is magnetic.
His one substantial monologue is a beauty too.
Spielberg brings his usual crew of cinematographer Janusz Kaminski with whom he has worked with 12 times prior to this film and editor Michael Kahn who locks in his 25th gig with the director.
The trio along with the set design, art design and costume department create a stunningly effective sense of period.
Set mostly in East and West Germany the winter scenes have a tangible sense of season with a subdued grey palette providing a visual gloom to the serious business at hand.
This is a film devoid of action or obvious effects apart from the U2 spy plane scene but nonetheless it is gripping.
Like "Lincoln" what you have here is a film featuring scene after scene of men in rooms talking.
And I was hugely entertained by it.
It won't be for everyone - it really is very slow.
If you didn't like "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" then this movie is definitely not for you.
The facts shown are a close enough approximation of the truth and even if it does get ever so slightly heavy handed in the final scene drawing parallels with events behind the iron curtain and with the public perception of Donovan it is a remarkable work of restraint and of considerable directing talent.
What else would you expect from Spielberg?
RATING: 77 / 100
CONCLUSION: A beautifully made slow burn of a film that still captivates for all of its length.
Running Time: 141 minutes
Rated: M - One f-bomb and very, very mild violence
Spielberg is in "Lincoln" / "Catch Me If You Can" mode with this movie and that suits me just fine.
I like his slower, more studied films of this ilk.
And pretty much every time he teams up with Tom Hanks you end up with something good.
This is their fourth collaboration and the only miss in the pack is "The Terminal".
While this movie is neither as serious as "Lincoln" or as coolly funny as "Catch Me If You Can" it continues the 'based on a true story' period nature of those movies.
In this case it is late 1950's to early 1960's cold war America.
Tom Hanks plays lawyer James Donovan - a man who was asked to defend a man accused of spying for Soviet Russia.
Later he was involved in a prisoner exchange involving the same man.
If you are concerned that this movie looks like one big courtroom drama you shouldn't be.
Very little takes place in court and most of the film takes place outside of the United States.
If you are worried that it looks slow on the other hand.... you are probably right to be.
When we first meet James Donovan he is arguing a point relating to an insurance claim.
 |
| Alan Alda, Tom Hanks and the great Amy Ryan |
Both characters are very, very good at what they do and very, very straight down the line when it comes to playing by the rules - mostly.
It is hard to imagine anyone but Hanks in this role.
Not only because he is great as usual but because he is quite unique in his ability to create all American Dad type figures who still have a bit of cool to them.
As I watched him in this film I tried to imagine a replacement and never managed to come up with anyone suitable.
He carries this film appearing in all but a scant few scenes.
Prior to Donovan's introduction we meet the other star of the show.
Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel -the Russian spy delivers a wonderfully understated performance as a man who never looks more than mildly inconvenienced by his being tried for espionage.
When Donovan mentions that he doesn't look worried by his suggestion that the electric chair may be in his future Abel replies 'Would it help?'
As good as Hanks is it was Rylance's work that I enjoyed most.
The role has no glamour, no action and Rylance is never required to deliver lines at above normal volume but he is magnetic.
His one substantial monologue is a beauty too.
 |
| Spielberg (left with Hanks) and his team serve up a luscious looking movie |
The trio along with the set design, art design and costume department create a stunningly effective sense of period.
Set mostly in East and West Germany the winter scenes have a tangible sense of season with a subdued grey palette providing a visual gloom to the serious business at hand.
This is a film devoid of action or obvious effects apart from the U2 spy plane scene but nonetheless it is gripping.
Like "Lincoln" what you have here is a film featuring scene after scene of men in rooms talking.
And I was hugely entertained by it.
It won't be for everyone - it really is very slow.
If you didn't like "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" then this movie is definitely not for you.
The facts shown are a close enough approximation of the truth and even if it does get ever so slightly heavy handed in the final scene drawing parallels with events behind the iron curtain and with the public perception of Donovan it is a remarkable work of restraint and of considerable directing talent.
What else would you expect from Spielberg?
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