Bridge of Spies movie review

dir. by Steven Spielberg
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Formulaic though it may be, Steven Spielberg's Bridge of Spies remains a superbly crafted thriller with just enough beneath the surface to stand out among the pack.

At the height of the Cold War, James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) is an insurance lawyer living in New York who, based on his history prosecuting the Nuremberg Trials, is asked to take on the case of Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), an accused Soviet spy. When a spy working for the United States is taken in by the Soviets, however, Donovan finds himself negotiating the exchange of political prisoners between the two superpowers. This is all taken from the real events in 1960, and while parts of it fit cleanly into a Cold War thriller template, the plot is at times unwieldy, especially in the first half where it takes the form of a slightly rushed courtroom drama. That's not to say that it's at all bad, but it's clearly build up to the prisoner exchange itself rather than the main focus of the film. Thankfully, this build up proves engrossing in its own right, due largely to the excellent acting by Hanks and directing by Spielberg.

One thing that has always been an outstanding element of Spielberg's work is his ability to stage a scene. Set pieces are excellently composed, communicating a sense of scale or of intimacy when the script calls for it. Spielberg's love of lens flares is on full display here, with every window made opaque by a blinding white light and the climax illuminated entirely by spotlights which are often aimed directly at the camera. This, thankfully, does a good job of establishing the mood, rather than distracting from it. One particularly interesting scene has the lighting setup change entirely because of the positioning of the actors, which is the kind of deft touch that sets Spielberg apart. The intricate details of the sets is complemented by Janusz Kamiński's fantastic cinematography, which shows off Spielberg's remarkable sense of direction through panning establishing shots. More often than not, a scene will be introduced by an impressive coordination of camera movement and on-set action. 

This is all centred around Tom Hanks, who dials up the quaint charm of his comedic past in order to present Donovan as a good man faced with a big challenge. His performance is lighter than many of his other dramatic roles while still maintaining a distinct seriousness, and that deeply complements the personal level the film operates on. While the diplomatic tensions of the Cold War definitely play a part, Bridge of Spies balances them perfectly with the personal tensions faced by Donovan as he faces a society dominated by fear and the risks of the diplomatic minefield he has stepped into. In fact, as much as the film is about this particular story, it's also about the time period in general, often looking at public attitudes towards spies and those, like Donovan, who might defend them. The perspective is undoubtedly American, with the Soviets being the ultimate villain in the background of the States' internal moral struggles, though numerous character moments allow a sliver of sympathy for spies, leaders, and diplomats of the Eastern Bloc who appear throughout the movie. 

If Bridge of Spies has one significant area of failing, it's the tone, which at times doesn't quite have the emotional strength that it ought to. Most likely this is because the film settles for merely being a very strong example of an espionage thriller rather than any reinvention of the genre, and these themes, though always timely, aren't given a particularly fresh twist, especially in the context of the setting. All of that is still offset by the film's strengths, another of which is the strong moments of humour which provide effective comedic relief without detracting even once from the story's momentum. A humorous line of dialogue can be placed in the middle of a serious scene, and it never breaks the tone, perhaps in part because the tone itself is never so serious as to be rigid. 

Whether or not Bridge of Spies is among Spielberg's best works, it's still an excellent thriller that is consistently engrossing from start to finish. Once again, the veteran filmmaker seems poised to claim multiple award nominations, and while this film may not have as strong a showing as 2012's Lincoln, its excellence is its own reward. Absorbing, brilliantly directed, and featuring a superb lead performance from Tom Hanks, Bridge of Spies is not to be missed. 

9/10

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