So, you know that spy movie that came out more than a month ago? Well, I saw that movie- “Bridge of Spies” today.
I’m not sure what I can add that hasn’t already been said. I didn’t know going in that this was a Spielberg film- not sure how I missed it, but I didn’t know – but I could tell pretty quickly. The Spielberg musical cue is pretty obvious- when one character sees another, and has a swell of positive emotion, there is an accompanying swell in the score. It’s classic, it’s timeless, and it’s very indicative of Spielberg’s hand, even if he’s not the composer.
What did I think of the actual movie, then? Well, to my shame, I didn’t recognize Mark Rylance as the alleged spy Rudolf Abel, and so of the cast I recognized only Tom Hanks. Fortunately for the movie, I’m not sure that a finer leading man than Tom Hanks currently lives and works. His turn as Jim Donovan was a beautiful performance, complicated, sympathetic, funny and commanding. Hanks is always a joy to watch, and this was no exception- in fact, I’ve yet to find such an exception, and if someone knows of one, I’d prefer they keep it to themselves. The rest of the cast performed very well, including the aforementioned Mark Rylance, who kept a cool serenity throughout the film that was so remarkable as to have been remarked upon by Hank’s character more than once.
The story follows Donovan pretty much exclusively, save for brief cutaways to other locations, and that’s fine. There are moments when characters are speaking other languages, and no subtitles are provided, and that’s fine. Donovan’s confusion is our confusion, and his feeling of isolation is ours to share. The few action scenes that occur are brief and serviceable, nothing fancy except for one sequence which I won’t spoil, but was a nice bit of stuntwork and special effects. You really get a sense of what kind of a man Donovan is as the film goes on, and that’s the best kind of character study- one that reveals more of its truth as it goes on, rather than showing its hand from the outset.
The real beauty in this movie, I think, is the cinematography, and the direction- hardly a surprise, since this was brought to us by Steven Spielberg. My favorite moment in the whole movie was a single cut between two shots, both involving people standing to show respect. It seems simple, and probably is, but the execution was so slick and professional that it lingers as my single favorite moment. There are shots in the film that are allowed to hang for a time, lending the film a ponderous nature which might turn some viewers off, but which I enjoyed thoroughly.
Speaking of ponderous, this isn’t a particularly fast-paced film. We’re watching events unfold as they unfold for Donovan, and his is not a quick slam-bang mission. Not all spy work is a James Bond film- or a Jason Bourne film, if the latest iteration of Bond has anything to say for itself- and scenes are slow and dialogue-heavy. Tension exists throughout most of the film, but it’s subdued and almost lost in the background- but only almost. There is a sense of unease about the whole film that I think neatly encapsulates the attitudes that possessed the nations on both sides of the Cold War.
Look, the movie released in mid October. If you were going to see it, I’m sure you already have. If, for some reason, you were thinking about it, and you know of a theatre nearby that’s still showing it, but you haven’t gone, and you’re not turned off by a more sedately-paced film, then you now have my hearty recommendation to go and see it. Tom Hanks is the man, and he’s always worth watching.
As a final thought, this has made me even more excited to watch “Trumbo,” and I wasn’t even sure that was possible.