Spielberg (almost) Does It Again

Rating: 8/10 (31 October 2015)

Steven Spielberg, the Oscar winning producer and director of such masterpieces as Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List has been a household name for decades, and with good reason. One expects a Spielberg film to be a huge box office success while receiving numerous award nominations, but not everything he touches turns to solid gold (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull anyone?) With Bridge of Spies, the new Cold War thriller starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, Spielberg has given us another fine film worthy of attention and accolades although he is just shy of being at the top of his game. Handed a screenplay co-written by Matt Charmin and Oscar winners Joel and Ethan Coen, Spielberg has assembled a top notch cast and a stunning and much heralded design team. Each contributes work worthy of merit to the film, but the pieces don't always fit together quite right in the final product.
Set in 1957 during the Cold War, Bridge of Spies is inspired by the true story of Insurance Attorney James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks/Philadelphia, Forrest Gump). Donovan was assigned to defend captured Russian spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance/The Gunman, Days and Nights) in court in order to prove that the US is fair, affording a POW all of the same rights as any American subject to due process. Of course, no one...
Check out the full review on David 'n the Dark! https://davidnthedark.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/spielberg-almost- does-it-again/