BRIDGE OF SPIES

– Film Review by Mark Glass –

Spielberg’s fact-based Cold War thriller ‘Bridge of Spies’ exceeds expectations

4 1/2 stars out of 5

Whenever Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks collaborate, expectations run high in the wake of “Saving Private Ryan,” “Catch Me if You Can” and “The Terminal.” This fact-based Cold War thriller meets or exceeds them. Hanks plays a civil lawyer, reluctantly recruited to defend accused Russian spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) at the height of nuclear tensions and mutual paranoia – a/k/a the late 1950s. Hanks’ character is vilified for merely doing what his professional oath requires – even within the system by those trained to know better. He develops a grudging respect for his client’s principles, despite his unfortunate career choices.

When one of our spy pilots, Francis Gary Powers, is shot down while filming Russia from above, Abel becomes a useful commodity as trade bait for our guy. Due to all sorts of geopolitical complexities among the US, USSR and East Germany, Hanks even more reluctantly becomes our negotiator for the swap, requiring a risky series of visits behind the newly-erected Berlin Wall that seem far beyond his, or anyone’s, pay grade in such volatile times.

Those who recall the news accounts of that episode, or studied it afterward, will find a masterfully written and directed perspective on those events and its principals. We’re not only shown facts surrounding this major international story, but the full array of emotional and political ripples it caused at all levels of society, here and abroad. Even knowing the prisoner exchange occurred does little to diminish the dramatic tension regarding Hanks and certain other elements within this version of whatever the full truth may have been.

Hanks is Oscar-worthy (again). So is Rylance, a relative unknown to American moviegoers, who may be this year’s Christoph Waltz among Supporting Actors, with a wry, understated, yet eloquent performance reminiscent of Waltz’ contributions to “Inglourious Basterds.” The screenplay by the Coen brothers and Matt Charman should also get some nods, finely balancing historical context with character development, suspense and just the right amount of comic relief.

If this one isn’t nominated for Best Picture, that can only mean a slew of terrific productions will arrive in the next couple of months, since this one heads the year-to-date pack. Wouldn’t that give us blissful relief from the jolt of the Cardinals’ superb regular season ending with ….