Against unlikely odds he made sure that justice was done and many lives were saved
There have been a string of films to come out in the past few months that are based on true stories or true events. There has been Everest, The Walk and even The Gallows. But Bridge of Spies is not like any of these movies. It takes place in a moment in history when fear was running rampant and no one knew what was going to happen tomorrow. Spies were everywhere and they could be anyone. It does a good job of telling a tough moment in history and it is a wonderful new drama.
The film begins with an old man who lives a simple life and enjoys painting beautiful landscapes. He lives in a small apartment in Brooklyn and appears to not want to cause any harm at all. His name is Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) and he is suffice it to say much more than this simple man. James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) is a lawyer in Brooklyn who usually deals with insurance cases. But when Rudolf gets put in jail under spy charges James is the man his firm wants to defend Rudolf and see he gets justice.
But once the trial is over it looks like justice is done but not in the fashion the public wanted. Meanwhile a young man named Francis Gary Powers ( Austin Lowell) is asked to fly a powerful new plane over the Soviet Union for reasons he cannot discuss with anyone. When his plane gets shot down James is asked to go to East Berlin to talk with the government and see about giving them Rudolf in exchange for Francis. What follows is the amazing true story of what happened and how James defied the odds and got exactly what he thought was right for the men who were unlawfully detained in East Berlin. How did James negotiate this when everyone thought it would never happen? Why is he the one who was asked to risk so much for his government? And how did this one event in time change those it affected?
This is a really good drama. It has some slow moments but the film never dragged on or got dull. Everyone involved made sure there were plenty of nail biting scenes to even this out and some moments where no one truly knows what is going to happen next. The props and sets do a great job of bringing Cold War America to life in a way that will take theater goers back to this moment in history. The cast all do a wonderful job of moving things along and no part is too big or too small. The soundtrack also helped bring the era alive in a powerful way that never felt forced to me. Overall this is a good movie that many people should run out and see.
The film gets 8/10. It did a great job bringing the story to life and yet it will not be for everyone. Kids will be bored by this movie and other people will find it uninteresting. Only those who want to learn something about history will really appreciate this movie. But teens and adults will find a picture that is an exciting adventure from the beginning right to the finale.
If you enjoy a good dramatic movie this is one you will want to see. If you are a fan of Tom Hanks this is a film you will definitely want to check out. With a great cast, good director and clever writing all together have made a unique movie. Tom Hanks delivers another splendid performance that this writer has never seen him do before. Bridge of Spies is coming this Friday to a theater near you.
Watch the suspenseful trailer here:
I recall when the tanks were facing each other at, iirc, Checkpoint Charlie when the Wall went up. The fate of the world, we thought, rested with some young sergeant tank commanders. If they got itchy, mistook orders, we figured it was all over.