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There are combinations of film makers that make you confident, as you pay your ticket price, that you are not going to be terribly disappointed:  Steven Spielberg directing; Tom Hanks taking the lead; Janusz Kaminski behind the camera; Michael Kahn editing and a Coen brothers script (with Matt Charmon (Suite Française)).  And Bridge of Spies doesn’t disappoint, particularly for someone of my more advanced years (I was born the year following the film’s climatic events) who remembers well the terror of potential nuclear catastrophe that hung over the world through the 60’s and 70’s.  

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It was only 30 minutes into the film, but she couldn’t believe how bad “Pitch Perfect 2” really was.

In a story based on true events, Hanks plays James Donovan (diverging somewhat from reality here) as an insurance lawyer dragged by his firm into defending Rudolf Abel, the accused Soviet spy played exquisitely by British stage acting legend Mark Rylance.  Against this backdrop, the international blue touch paper is about to be lit by the shooting down over Russia of Gary Powers (Austin Stowell from “Whiplash”) in his U-2 spy plane (sorry – “article”). Donovan becomes instrumental in unofficially negotiating on behalf of the US government the release of Powers in East Berlin. The deal is jeopardised by his boy-scout tendencies to also want to help another US captive Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers).  

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The Russians take parking ticket fines VERY seriously.

I’ve read some negative reviews of this film in the papers that made me quite cross, describing it as “yawnsome” and “sanctimoniously dull”.  For me, nothing could be further from the truth and the packed Saturday night audience I saw this with seemed equally gripped from beginning to end, silent save for the odd laugh where some appropriate humour is weaved into the story.   

Tom Hanks is solid and believable as the fish-out-of-water lawyer, albeit that the role is played with a large spoonful of patriotic American sugar as Donovan trumpets about the importance of the constitution over the lynch-mob mentality of the general public. Alan Alda – great to see again on the big screen – channels his best Hawkeye-style exasperation as Donovan’s boss, looking for a clean and quick conviction. 

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When Spielberg shouted “Cut” what do you want to bet that at least one of these guys did a Gene Kelly impression?

But it is Mark Rylance – an irregular player in movies, and due to appear again in next year’s “BFG” – who shines out as the acting star of the film.  His salubrious and calm turn as the cornered spy just reeks of class and if he isn’t nominated for a Best Supporting Actor nomination for this then there is no justice.

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The Central Line could make anybody miserable on a Monday morning. Mark Rylance acting everyone else off screen.

(A special ‘casting recognition award’ to my wife Sue for spotting that the actress playing Judge Byer’s wife – Le Clanché du Rand – was Meg Ryan’s mother in Sleepless in Seattle 22 years ago!)

The cinematography is superb with some gorgeous tracking shots and framed scenes.  Most outstanding of all is the scene depicting the traumatic construction of the Berlin wall – long tracking shots in greys and blues delivering a truly breathtaking piece of cinema.  In general I’d give a big shout-out to both the art department and the special effects team in making the desolation of East Berlin feel so real.  It makes the similar scenes, that I commented positively on in the recent “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” seem like an amateur school production. 

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Desperation in East Berlin. (By the way, spot the naughty extra staring straight into the camera on the right!)

The special effects team also contribute in making the shooting down of the U-2 a thrilling piece of cinema.  

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They’d all bought tickets for the U-2 concert months in advance: can you imagine the disappointment?

Music is sparingly and effectively used by Thomas Newman, and it can be no greater complement to the composer than that I was wondering until the end titles as to whether it was another Spielberg/ John Williams collaboration or not.

A great film, one of my favourites this year.  Highly recommended, especially if you are over 50.  You should also get out to a cinema to see this one – it will be far more effective on the big screen than the small one.

Fad Rating:  FFFFf.    

But What Did You Think?  Do You Agree With My Rating And Comments?  Please Let Me Know By Commenting Below! 

By bobwp

Dr Bob Mann lives in Hampshire in the UK. Now retired from his job as an IT professional, he is owner of One Mann's Movies and an enthusiastic reviewer of movies as "Bob the Movie Man". Bob is also a regular film reviewer on BBC Radio Solent.

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Carolyn Wright
Carolyn Wright
8 years ago

Totally agree with this review – we saw last night and loved it, especially the atmospheric depiction of Berlin. Daughter was also heard to say “I now understand a lot more about the cold war”, so it was educational as well. The only criticism could be that it seemed to get slower and slower towards the end and there is a fine line between brooding anticipation and toe-tapping impatience. It did nothing to dent our enjoyment though.

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