Review of Bridge of Spies (2015) by Jacob — 07 Nov 2015

Bridge of Spies is an intense film. Speilberg does a good job of capturing the intense high stakes atmosphere of the cold war, which results in an intense film about a prisoner exchange. Hanks does a good job in the film and his struggle to negotiate between the parties and maintain justice is identifiable.

The film is well shot although some of the visuals are heavy handed to a point of I get it. The film is two hours but feels longer (seriously I took two bathroom breaks during the film). All of the elements of the film are necessary, although it could’ve ended earlier, but it does result in a film that drags.

Characters and plot points will be present for a while and then disappear for over an hour. There are a lot of people and places the film needs to cover and while it is all essential, especially in regards to setting up who the prisoners are, it does result in a film that is a tad unfocused and lengthy.

So ultimately it comes down to is it worth it. Should Speilberg have taken the time to establish who all the prisoners were so we care about them and its not just some guy that captured at the expense of a flowing narrative.

Or should the film have cut down on those sequences streamlining the film but making it a tad harder to connect with the film. There is no easy answer to this question. Nonetheless, Speilberg and the Cohen brothers, who apparently helped write this film, do their best to balance the film and result in something that while not something I’d want to go back and watch again as its not a fun blockbuster is well made and will likely be in the running for the Oscars.

Oscar homework people this should be on your list.