Ah, the old Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks wombo combo. It’s been utterly fantastic, it’s been great and it’s been pretty good — but what it’s never been is bad. That tradition of excellence continues with their latest pairing, “Bridge of Spies.”
Set during the Cold War, “Bridge of Spies” follows an American insurance lawyer who is asked to represent a captive, alleged Soviet spy. The premise by itself is a breath of fresh air because only half of the principal characters are spies. That’s a full 50 percent less than is typical of Cold War movies. All joking aside, Hanks and co-star Mark Rylance, a world-renowned stage actor, deliver impeccable performances that give a beating heart to what could have otherwise been a cold, procedural legal/espionage drama.
The setting is fantastic, the acting is top notch and the direction comes from one of the men who have helped shape modern cinema in an indisputable way. Watching Spielberg’s direction, it’s evident that the hand of a master is at work.
That said, the Invisible Hand (can anyone tell me the “Star Wars” reference in regards to the capitalization just before the parenthesis? I would be impressed if you could) that steers this ship is a little heavy-handed. It’s the Spielberg touch, to be sure, but it’s not as graceful and elegant as it could have been. Maybe that’s just nostalgia for Spielberg’s earlier work, but it seems like a little of the usual finesse is missing.
There is a lot to love about “Bridge of Spies.” I loved nearly everything about it. It’s well made, tells an important story and is fun to watch.
The price of doing anything great is that, from then on, greatness becomes the expectation. It’s a little unfair of me to criticize Steven Spielberg for only being extremely good instead of great. Alas, such is the price of being a legend.
Luckily, only a few people consistently expects greatness from me, which comes in handy when I make a moderately good video breaking down the new “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” poster. I encourage you to watch it HERE: It’s moderately good!
5 of 6 stars