Bridge of Spies
In some ways, Bridge of Spies is the traditional Hollywood spy movie of old, complete with meetings in poorly lit rooms and hurried walks down the street. But more than that, it is a hero movie, a tale of a man and a task and some consequences. And in this sense, it is a success.
That hero here is Tom Hanks. In a tale based on a true story, Hanks plays New York lawyer James B. Donovan, who is recruited by the CIA to defend Rudolf Abel, a KGB intelligence officer arrested and charged with espionage, whose standing in a panicked Cold War America is about as bad as it gets. Donovan is a man of morals, a hardworking, picturesque vision of what the American man is supposed to be. But even his golden composure is put to the test when an American pilot, Francis Gary Powers, goes down over Soviet territory. What was a lopsided defense job turns into the helming of an intense, vital Cold War negotiation in which Donovan represents his whole country and his decisions could have repercussions beyond anyone’s imagination.
It’s the second big historical biopic in a row for the legendary Steven Spielberg, following 2012’s Lincoln. And at this every-release-is-an-event time in his career (a time we’ve lived in since about 1975), this event is a nice way to spend a few hours, but nothing that will satisfy our hunger for great Spielberg work for long.
The script, penned by Matt Charman with an assist from Joel and Ethan Coen (yes, those Coen brothers) is certainly a feel-good triumph. But too often, it straddles the line of being a feel-good club over the head. This movie will make you feel good; you might just get slightly annoyed at how hard it tries to do that.
Performance-wise, Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall) completely disappears into the role of Abel, and Amy Ryan (Birdman) is her typical impressive self as Donovan’s wife, Mary. The other supporters are cast well, including solid turns from Sebastian Koch (The Danish Girl), Austin Stowell (Whiplash) and Eve Hewson (The Knick). And Tom Hanks is Tom Hanks — sturdy, serviceable, often very good. It’s a performance that stands out this year as one of the more consistent, but in a broader look at Hanks’ career it will easily be forgotten.
The same could be said for Spielberg. He does fine work here, using some smooth tracking, slick editing and the occasional unconventional angle to really tie the story together. But the shots that stand out do so for their visual artistry and not their significance in the film. In the most basic terms, despite its historical roots, it’s too familiar a story to really get deeply invested in the characters.
Maybe part of the problem is my own (and any college-age student’s, for that matter): complete disconnection with what Cold War America was like — the true tension of it. In this sense, Spielberg and company do a fine job of trying to translate how high these stakes were. There are real moments of dreadful suspense. However, I still got the sense that if I had really known how it felt to stand on the brink of war with the Soviet Union, this story of bravery would mean so much more.
This is the problem with any dated historical film, I suppose. It’s also the problem with having only 20 years of historical experience under your belt. But, at any age, it’s clear to see that Bridge of Spies is one hell of a hero story. It is a successful reminder of what people in this country can do and, more importantly, what they can be.
