Rent Bridge of Spies (2015)

Tom gets heavy. Literally. - Bridge of Spies review by NC

Tom starting to look like Plasticine replica a bit now. Going very putty in the facial department. Still does the job though. Rylance is creepy as the spy..not sure if he is acting, or is like that anyway?

Very slow by todays standards but see Spy Who Came in from the Cold with Richard Burton. That has the drear, grey feel, of Berlin when the wall went up.........

So different, therefore, so refreshing. - Bridge of Spies review by DJ

What I found so enjoyable about this films was the lack of that single note and a drum, against which most narrators, actors and actresses have to vie.  There was a music score, but, as in most of Stephen Spielberg's films, he understands the power of silence and frequently uses it to instal gravitas in the mind.  The 'clever' critics often look for something that isn't there, then bemoan the fact.  

This film possesses a beautifully acted role by Tom Hanks, who takes the lead.  It has a steady pace and even sports the mediocrity of life, in that I felt there was no exaggeration, no stupid ideas, no unbelievable moments, it was what is was, a docudrama of just one instance from the life of a man who went on to save thousands of lives.

In reality, life is often quite hum-drum.  Only fiction produces the impossible, incredible, unbelievable stunts of survival, where the hero is clairvoyant  and beyond reproach.  For those of us who lived through the 'Cold War', this film will have more meaning ... a very enjoyable film for the mature amongst us. 

Good, Solid Espionage Drama - Bridge of Spies review by GI

A smart, intellectual espionage film based on real events and benefiting from the trademark realism, in this case for the late 1950s, that director Steven Spielberg does so well and very much aided by the sharp script courtesy of the Coen Brothers. Tom Hanks utilises his All American family man persona to its usual full effect as the humble attorney Jim Donovan who is assigned to defend Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance, in a stunning performance), a Soviet spy arrested by the FBI. Donovan is dedicated and does his job properly despite being publicly threatened and vilified in the tabloids and he manages to avoid his client being sentenced to death. A few years later and an American pilot is captured by the Soviets and Donovan is recruited by the CIA to negotiate a trade, the pilot for Abel. Reluctantly he agrees and heads off to Berlin but he decides to carry out the negotiations his way and rejects his CIA controller's orders. Spielberg recreates here the infamous U2 spy plane incident, a key moment in the Cold War. This is a tense drama that attempts to follow the world of spying in the Cold War accurately so consequently this isn't a film with gadgets and guns. It is rather a thought provoking story and effectively a historical one that brings into the public eye an unsung American hero. Hanks gives his usual well crafted performance but it's Rylance that makes the film so very watchable. This is one of Spielberg's more subtle and restrained films and its well worth a revisit if you've only seen it once and definitely one to see if you've not done so.

Excellent cold war drama - Bridge of Spies review by TE

Excellent acting by all concerned and good directing also. Captures the drama of the times very well. Is dramatic, suspenseful and witty all at the same time, even though there is very little 'action'.

An incredible Mark Rylance anchors this brilliant & tense look at hostage trading & negotiation - Bridge of Spies review by TB

Unless you were someone who lived in the UK & regularly went to the London theatre, there is almost no chance you’d have heard of Mark Rylance. But after some strong performances, including what I feel is & always will be his masterpiece Intimacy, he went back to the stage & ran the Globe Theatre. But one person who had always known & revered him was Steven Spielberg. And when this script was passed to him, there was only ever one person who could play the role of Rudolph Abel, the suspected Russian deep cover spy. 

Bridge of Spies is based on the true story of the prisoner swap between the US & The Soviet Union, at the height of the Cold War. Tom Hanks plays James B Donovan, a highly experienced insurance lawyer who is assigned the case of Rudolph Abel, a suspected Soviet spy who has been monitored & is suspected of passing highly classified material to the USSR. Despite the wish of pretty much everyone to have Abel executed, Donovan manages to successfully spare Abel from the death penalty & then when a U.S. pilot is shot down, he becomes a prisoner that the USSR is willing to trade their hostage with. 

I loved this film. The chemistry between Hanks & Rylance is absolutely outstanding, their respective humours & charm really working in harmony to drive the film forward. But Rylance is also head & shoulders above everyone else with his deeply soulful & sensitive performance. You really warm to Abel & his cheeky approachability, whether he is in a courtroom full of people wanting to kill him with their bare hands or a freezing cold night sharing small talk. It is no wonder that Rylance had a clean sweep at every awards ceremony for his work. 

The script is also very gentle & profound, creating an excellent world which it populates with amazing characters & story. Obviously, being a Spielberg film, everything behind the scenes wise is note perfect. The cinematography in his films never gets nearly enough credit. Janusz Kaminski, who has shot most of Spielberg’s films, is absolutely outstanding, with his colour palette & use of light almost unmatched. The soundtrack by Thomas Newman is also beautiful. 

This is a wonderful film, totally engrossing & perfectly made. Yes it is sometimes a demanding watch, but never for a second is it boring. And with Rylance & Hanks, you couldn’t want for more.