Review of Bridge of Spies (2015) by Compi24 — 11 Feb 2019

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks re-team for "Bridge Of Spies," a cinematic retelling of the 1962 exchange of captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel for crashed U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers and American student Frederic Pryor.

In terms of spirit alone, this is a Spielberg film through and through - even if it does feel a bit more muted than it should be. It's a film about a rare moment of diplomatic harmony occurring between two nations who should otherwise despise each other, and it should be seen by any and all self-described history buffs (such as myself).

It is also, however, essentially a movie about Tom Hanks going on a tour of meetings with a series people, some of whom are more interesting in others. And while the dialogue, acting, and aesthetics at hand are all acceptable, I couldn't help but yearn for a more urgent brand of pacing throughout.

Indeed, the tension at hand is historically self-evident, but it could've definitely been ratcheted up a bit more within the terms of the film.