Review of Bridge of Spies (2015) by Filmphonic — 22 Nov 2015

Previous Hanks/Spielberg collaborations have brought us both gripping dramas with strong historical context and human stories with charm & humour. With the help of co-witters the Coen Brothers, ‘Bridge of Spies’ is a mix of those elements, woven together by Spielberg’s mastery of storytelling and dramatic flair into a meticulously crafted true story, with no small measure of idealism.

Despite its narrative, ‘Bridge of Spies’ is not what you may expect from a spy film, in fact it may be the most accurate depiction of cold war (or any era) espionage in recent cinema history, so if you’re expecting a tense thriller then prepared to be disappointed. This is a masterfully crafted, measured and often slow-build drama that is as much about the intricacies of geopolitics during a complicated period in our history as it is a human drama… and one which resonates today.

Tom Hanks delivers yet another solid charismatic performance as a figure who was linked to several of the major events at the height of the cold war, while Mark Rylance has been rightly singled out for his deliberate chronically understated turn as Rudolf Abel, an unflappable soviet spy with unshakable integrity.

As expected, the visual style is faultless with meticulous costume and production design vividly bringing the period to life, ‘Bridge of Spies’ boasts a beautiful aesthetic that’s typical of its cinematographer and long-time Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kaminski.

There is nothing unusual about a Steven Spielberg film with an underlying sense of optimism, but ‘Bridge of Spies’ has an unapologetic streak of personal and collective idealism which borders on sentimentality, particularly when you consider the realities of cold war politics. Notwithstanding the espionage, the film is as much about how one extraordinary man and his principles helped to shape the course of recent history, albeit a glossy textbook drama version of that story.

The Bottom Line….

Despite a steady pace with limited tension and a fanciful idealism, ‘Bridge of Spies’ is a meticulously crafted and engaging cold war classic, with plenty of charm and human drama to keep you enthralled throughout a long runtime, another success from the Hollywood “firm” of Spielberg & Hanks.