Set in the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, Bridge of Spies is based on the true story of New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks) who is called upon by the CIA to try to negotiate a prisoner trade. The Americans have a prisoner Rudolf Abel who is a convicted Soviet spy that they are willing to exchange for the release of pilot Francis Gary Powers who was shot down and captured while spying on the Soviets. The reason why Donovan would be the logical choice for the assignment: he defended the Soviet Abel in court.
This is the fourth collaboration between Hanks and director Stephen Spielberg. Previously, the two worked on Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal and Saving Private Ryan. Spielberg won Best Director and Best Picture Oscars and Hanks won Best Actor for Saving Private Ryan and all the early speculation says these two are front-runners for another sweep when it comes to handing out trophies.
Well, I predicted 4.5 stars based on previous collaborations between Hanks and Spielberg. I knocked it down a full star, not because I didn't enjoy the movie, not because I thought Hanks didn't perform well, but because I was underwhelmed and it's one of those "once is enough" kind of movies. It was an interesting story, well told, but it tended to drag and Hanks was Hanks. What I mean by that is he was absolutely brilliant, but he was himself. In Saving Mr. Banks, I didn't see Tom Hanks, I saw Walt Disney. In Captain Phillips, I saw the Captain of a captive ship. In Bridge of Spies, I saw Hanks as James Donovan. He was great, but he was himself. Now, Mark Rylance (who played the Russian Spy Rudolf Abel) was absolutely endearing and entertaining and completely deserves an Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actor. However, if he doesn't get one, don't be surprised if he's not upset. If you ask him why, he'll simply ask you in return, "Would it help?" You'll get it when you see the movie, which I recommend renting or waiting until it's on TV, but I doubt it will make it to my home collection. So, what movie will be on my mind next? We shall see.
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