I finally saw Bridge of Spies, and Steven Spielberg
should keep making films inspired by true events and people. If only movies
could be this compelling and well made. This chronicle of the capture of a
Soviet spy during the height of the Cold War (and erecting of the Berlin Wall)
and the American lawyer (James Donovan) who must defend him parallels the loss
of a US spy plane and its pilot Francis Gary Powers over Russia resulting in a
tense game of posturing and negotiations that Donovan must maneuver to secure
an exchange of prisoners. Tom Hanks has one of his greatest roles as Donovan
who had to operate without official sanction amid a political minefield of
uncertainty and distrust. No one comes as close to the spirit of Jimmy Stewart
as Hanks these days. The period flavor of the late 1950s and its Red scare
paranoia is convincingly reenacted from a terrific script aided in part by the
legendary Coen brothers. This is not only a fascinating history lesson but one
of the best films of the year. Oscar nominations are virtual locks for Hanks,
Spielberg, Best Picture, and for Mark Rylance as a wily spy.
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