Review of Bridge of Spies (2015) by Lane Z — 13 Jul 2016

Bridge of Spies has everything you could ask for in the structure of a movie: strong writers in the Coen brothers, legendary director with Steven Spielberg and an Oscar-winning actor (and supporting actor) Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance. It's sound storytelling that becomes more about the process than the anxiety that lies beneath many spy movies.

Since it was based off a true story, the characters are real and the settings are as detailed as can be to depict the late 1950s Cold War hysteria that ran rampant through Germany, Russia and the United States. But, I have to say, even with all this lauding of the framework that went into this film, I was still slightly disappointed I didn't feel more apprehensive or emotionally tied to the characters while watching the film.

We get great screen work from Hanks, and it's easy to see why Rylance won the Academy for his silent and silly portrayal of Rudolph Abel, especially when they are on screen together. But again, with such a star-studded assembly, I was still left wanting more of a punch.

While many may register it as a spy thriller, it leans more toward spy drama. Spielberg and company are storytellers. They aren't begging for blockbuster status here with action set pieces or shock and awe twists and turns. Because of that, we get a reliable piece of work over the course of two hours to learn of a time some of us might just understand a little better now.