Biography/Drama/History
Rated – M
Duration –141mins
Release – October 2015
Director – Steven Spielberg
Cast –Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance
Mr Knight
When making a period drama flick surely writers, directors and producers look straight for Tom Hanks in their speed dial to see if he is available. Hanks has led the way in style with period dramas, starring in classics including Forest Gump, Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me if You Can, and The Green Mile to name a few.
Hanks’ has the talent to bring both an intelligence, charm and humour to his movies, whilst keeping true to the drama of each story, and Bridge of Spies is no exception. Bridge of Spies takes cinema goers back to the Cold War with tensions between the US and Russia at an all-time high.
With the war being fought not on the battle field with guns and ammo, but in the shadows with information and espionage, both sides are constantly on the hunt for spies as the threat of nuclear war looms. During this hunt US Federal Agents capture a suspected Russian spy, and Colonel, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance).
Enter insurance lawyer and partner in his firm, James Donovan (Hanks) who is approached to represent Abel at trial to show the world, particularly Russia, that the USA is a fair country and will give any person the right of a defence, (despite the deck being completely stacked against him).
Regardless of pressures at his home, hatred on the streets and making himself a leper in his work place, Donovan gives his all to defend this enemy of the state, and despite the dangers and isolation it brings he refuses to lay down and give up.
Whilst a hindrance to Donovan in the beginning, not long after trial, a US spy plane is shot down, a pilot is captured by Russia, and Donovan is brought back to negotiate the exchange of prisoners… in East Berlin.
While the film is long, the story feels almost like two movies with the trial then the exchange, and with literally zero action, and only one main on screen talent, being Hanks, I was still completely engaged. Spielberg manages to make the European scenes appear gloomy, cold and depressing whilst all US scenes bright and joyful to set the mood and perception of those times.
To sum up. Spielberg and Hanks show with two great talents, the movie doesn’t need explosions and emotional dying scenes, to have a great movie. If you’re a Hanks fan, get out there and see it.
Mrs Knight
I think you definitely have to be in the mood for this one. I was told it was long, serious and boring. So I was expecting to spend the whole film fidgeting. Low expectations seem to be a winning ingredient for me as I ended up really enjoying it.
During the Cold War, an American lawyer, James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) in court. Rudolf is a sweet old man and painter. He brought small moments of humor to the film and his character was definitely the highlight for me.
During the film Donovan ends up helping the CIA facilitate an exchange of Rudolf Abel for an American Pilot who has been captured by the Soviet, Francis Gary Powers. The film was full of dialogue rather than action, but I found the script interesting and the direction engaging. It wasn’t overly suspenseful, but still had me listening to every word. Tom Hanks carried the film. His character was likeable, smart, humble and full of tension in the negotiation scenes.
I liked that the story was told from a unique angle, meaning I cared more about Abel rather than the Americans who were captured. I also enjoyed seeing the influence of the media in the public’s perception of Donovan. The public hated him for defending Abel, yet he stuck to what he believed in, helping people.
Don’t get me wrong, my expectations of the film being long, serious and boring was mostly true, since a few people walked out of the cinema. But I still enjoyed it and stayed captivated in the story. I do think some more moments of comedic relief would have been nice, and it could have been shorter. Let’s be honest, I’m never going to sit through it again, but I recommend it for those people who enjoy a true story.
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