Bridge of Spies
It’s hard to find two bigger names in entertainment than Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. When Bridge of Spies was announced a trailer was hardly even needed. Directed by Spielberg, co-written by the Coen brothers, and the lead actor was Tom Hanks? The trailer could have literally been these four names and crowds would have turned up. Bridge of Spies was an ambitious project about the Cold War that had a hard time getting everything in that it needed to.
Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) an older man, quiet, methodical, and an artist, is also a Russian Spy. Though never fully acknowledged by either Germany or Russia the United States made up their minds before the trial took place. In the trial James Donovan (Tom Hanks) defends the man regardless of personal feelings or guilt. Donovan is a clever lawyer who does things by the book and takes his job seriously. Whenever questioned, harassed, or confronted about his involvement in the case Donovan says that it’s his job to present the best defense possible. Donovan’s family gets, literally, caught in the crossfire at the outrage of the nation. His wife Mary (Amy Ryan), daughters Peggy (Jillian Lebling) and Carol (Eve Hewson), and his son Roger (Noah Schnapp) are distraught about the situation. Because of his family Donovan lies when the US Government sends him to a divided Germany to negotiate a prisoner exchange.
Tom Hanks delivers. It should almost go without say at this point in his career, but Tom Hanks really delivers. He broadcasts the emotion well, lawyers up for the most thrilling scenes of the movie, and hits the comedic beats that don’t exactly fit the story but are necessary for an ‘Oscar bait’ style movie. Mark Rylance is an actor with a solid resume to his name but was unfamiliar to me. Rylance played his role perfectly. Getting almost as much screen time as Hanks Rylance really held his own next to the acting master. The supporting cast is colorful, yes that is a pun on the drab and muted colors of the movie, and eclectic. Some characters are a little more fun than they should be but the slimy and scheming Wolfgang Vogel (Sebastian Koch) was fantastic.
The direction and artistic choices for the filming are interesting. Spielberg is a true auteur, there is no debating that. The camera work is steady, the framing is on point and there are some interesting angles that direct the audience into a larger world. Where the movie loses the audience is an intentional choice that just didn’t work. Many of the scenes are either entirely too dark or completely over exposed. Again, this was an intentional choice, but washing out the scenes that are already muted in color makes for a bland viewing experience, especially in the age of high definition everything.
There is nothing technically wrong with Bridge of Spies. The story is interesting. Infact, it plays out like two stories in one where both parts are equally interesting and important. The cinematography, sound mix, tension, writing, and acting are all top notch, as can be expected with the talent behind the movie. So why the mediocre star rating? Bride of Spies was simply not made for the big screen. Spielberg and Hanks have worked with HBO in the past, a 6-8 week miniseries would have served this story so much better. With a runtime of over 140 minutes Spies has a lot of information to cram in. More than half the story is about Donovan defending the Russian spy, a spy that from an American’s point of view is the villain of the picture. When it’s time to introduce the captures US pilot almost no background or story is given to the man. In fact, the few pieces that are given to him make audiences dislike the man if they develop any opinion for him at all. This awkward situation is amplified for the other American stuck in Germany.
Along with there being too much information for a single movie, even a longer one, the pacing doesn’t serve the information enough. As previously mentioned there is little to no reason to care about either of the American prisoners, other than the fact that we are supposed to. So much time is spent with the Russian spy, who is not written to be a villainous character at all, but in the context of the cold war was to Americans, that there is no time for the American’s who seem more vilified in some small ways. The tension of Donovan’s encounters in a country being literally split in two are well written and tense, but not nearly enough time was given. With the rushed schedule of Donovan’s time in Europe there is never really a moment of doubt, a moment where everything falls apart and he hits rock bottom. There is never a moment where the quest feels hopeless. Donovan has a firm understanding of what everyone is thinking at all times. Historically maybe that’s true, maybe he was that good. The stats given at the end of the film speak to this for sure, but it made for a movie without a climax.
Good crew, good cast, and a good story are poorly serviced in the wrong format. Clearly made with the sole intention of winning an Oscar (a lot of movies and creators want to but there is a certain formula at play) but with all the stiff competition this year I’ll be surprised if there are nominations, shocked for wins.
