I was recently given the opportunity to review the movie Bridge of Spies, and, having missed it when it was in theaters, jumped at the chance.
Set during the Cold War, Bridge of Spies features Tom Hanks as lawyer James Donovan, who finds himself representing a Russian spy. Although Donovan is only supposed to go through the motions and provide a token defense of his client, he takes his role seriously and does everything he can to win the case and see that the legal proceeding are handled properly. Later in the film, he finds himself thrust by the CIA into negotiating the trade of his client for famed pilot Gary Powers, whom is being held by the Russians. Things are further complicated by the arrest of an American grad student by the East German government, in the midst of the building of the Berlin Wall. As Donovan does not work for the U.S. government, he risks his own health and safety in negotiating with the foreign powers.
I don’t know when was the last time I actually saw a Tom Hanks movie, but he is fine form here. Hanks is the central character in this movie and carries the weight of it. Except for two other minor subplots going on, Hanks is in every scene. All of the acting in the movie is top notch, and it was nice to see Alan Alda in a nice, albeit small, role.
I loved this movie, really. It looked great, the acting was great, and Steven Spielberg did a tremendous job of directing it. I must admit I was still expecting a third act twist to happen, but as this was based on true events, things unfolded the way they were supposed to.
The movie racked up six 2016 Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture, Actor in A Supporting Role (Mark Rylance), Original Score, Production Design, Sound Mixing and Original Screenplay.
Here are a couple of behind-the-scenes looks:
Parental Guidance: There is small bit of violence as Powers is tormented by his captors. There is also a bit of profanity, including Hanks and another character dropping F-bombs. I would follow the PG-13 guideline.
