Daniel Day-Lewis’ Oscar win for playing the 16th President of the United States marked the first time an actor won an Academy Award for a Steven Spielberg movie. “Bridge of Spies”, the legendary director’s first film since “Lincoln”, features another Hollywood heavyweight and, what could be, statue-worthy work.
First off – Tom Hanks is sensational, giving the most genuine performance I’ve ever seen him deliver. While his scenes are never as “showy” as those in recent films “Captain Phillips” and “Saving Mr. Banks”, Hanks’ Brooklyn insurance lawyer Jim Donovan, another ordinary man quickly placed in an extraordinary situation (a Hanks staple), is a character easy to like and root for the entire time. His reserved tone and authentic mannerisms and expressions carry us through this two-plus hour Cold War drama.
Based on a true story that Hanks admits “he thought” he knew before reading the script co-written by the Coen Brothers, Donovan is asked to defend Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (played by Mark Rylance of TV’s “Wolf Hall”), who was captured by the C.I.A. in NYC in 1957. Donovan knows that Abel is guilty, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t provide this man with a proper defense. In a very real sense Hanks embodies Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch from “To Kill a Mockingbird”. As Donovan puts it early on: “every person matters.”
The relationship between Donovan and Abel is at the heart of “Bridge of Spies”. Rylance is very good, though it’s a rather one-note role. And not appearing on screen for a lengthy chunk of time in the middle of the film could hurt his chances at Best Supporting Actor nominations.
The stakes are raised when Abel is convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison, and a short time later, American U-2 pilot Gary Powers is shot down during a spy mission over the Soviet Union and captured. The two countries decided there should be a swap of prisoners – and Donovan is chosen to make the deal. The complications surrounding these tricky negotiations dominate the middle of “Bridge of Spies” – and while these scenes aren’t exactly heart-pounding, they’re critical in explaining character motivation and setting-up the final act.
Shortly into his critical stay in freezing Berlin, Donovan is forced to sacrifice his overcoat to troublesome men. When asked by partners later on where the jacket was, Donovan replies, “Spy stuff.” He knows that this mission, though not exactly to the extravagant achievements of “Mission: Impossible”, is vital to the two unsettling sides of the world.
Spielberg’s trademark visual look and thematic touches are evident at specific checkpoints, including in the final few minutes. Thomas Newman’s score has an appropriately old-fashioned feel (the composer is seeking his 13th Oscar nomination and first win). “Bridge of Spies” embodies restrained emotion and power. It’s not a complicated story, but it’s so well executed by Spielberg and Hanks that it ranks as one of the year’s best.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Bridge of Spies” gets a B+.
Running Time: 142 min.