A film directed by Steven Spielberg, a script written by the Coen brothers,starring Tom Hanks and set in the peak of the Cold War. A very cliché intro surely but just cannot falter with it can you? Honestly ever since I heard about this production I really did not know what to expect. From the cold war setting and the spies thing, I thought it would be something more akin to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy maybe. However, it's nothing like that and I am so happy because of that.
The movie follows insurance lawyer James B.Donovan who was drafted in by the CIA to negotiate the exchange of imprisoned U-2 pilot, Francis Gary Powers for a Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), a Russian Spy in US custody for which Donovan is serving as his legal counsel.
The first thing I noticed into the movie really was how fresh this movie looks aesthetically in terms of colour palette and the overall ambience. It has a way of showing large-scale geo-political tension in the stark differences in the environments of these different places and yet at the same time, is seemingly grounded and very personal. It feels like a reinvigorated Spielberg. You can still make out his classic techniques, but overall it feels quite fresh. I guess that just goes to the credit to the the production designer and the director of photography along with Spielberg himself.
The story starts as a legal courtroom drama a lot like Time To Kill where Donovan is pretty much forced by his firm to serve as a 'capable defence' to Abel only really as a formality and Donovan (in true lawyer fashion) becomes determined to give him justice and the public hates him for that. At this point I'm like "ohh I just know exactly what to expect." Then the U-2 scene happened and the movie almost turned 180 degrees and It almost became a different movie. It may be my own stupidity but nonetheless, it felt really good in the way the plot just changed like that. However, this change is not disrupting and is more of the evolution of the plot.
The pacing and tension in this is something I admired. The first sequence of the movie doesn't even have any dialogue in it, but the suspense of it all and the audience trying to figure out what's happening arrests you. Throughout the movie, it will hold your attention with a tight grip and the plot progresses in such a way that you will become really curious about what happens in the end. Also it has a very satisfying sense of closure to it and when the script hits those emotional beats right, it just takes it to a new level.
Tom Hanks as James B. Donovan is a true heroic protagonist in his own right. We follow him as he drives the story, and often times he would put himself in such situations that just make you go 'why' in an entertaining way that is testament to his character. He has a very good chemistry with Mark Rylance's character, who also gives a rather brilliant performance as Rudolf Abel, making you feel for him and in turn justifying why Donovan went through so much for his defence earlier in the movie even though he was a spy and Donovan is despised for this in the public and his family's eyes. Their relationship is handled confidently. 
Negotiations or such banter in movies can go either way depending upon the writing of the dialogue and also the set-up to it. One moment you can get JFK and other times you may even have The Phantom Menace. And often times you don't even have that much visual flair to hold on to unlike here. This is where I feel lucky that the Coen Brothers were involved. They have written some nice dialogues that gel very well with certain superb character moments occurring from time to time. The dynamics that happen between Donovan and the opposing negotiators (notable mention to Sebastian Koch) is entertaining to me at least as they butt their heads in mental chess.
At the end of the day what Bridge of Spies is, is that it's a well rounded experience, as you should expect from one of the best directors in Hollywood. It has a very interesting subject that is supported with superb performances and writing; and cinematography that really sells that particular period of history. It ultimately becomes a story of the value of human life. It has great emotional and entertainment value, and you should definitely see it, if you haven't already. Some are even starting to say that this is Speilberg's best film since Saving Private Ryan (1998).
