"What's the next move when you don't know what the game is?"

Rating: 10/10 (13 June 2016)

This is a compelling character study set amid the espionage and drama of the Cold War between America and the Soviets. What really got my attention was when part of James Donovan's (Tom Hanks) argument against the death penalty for Russian spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) relied largely on foreseeing the day when an American might be arrested on similar charges, and a live prisoner might be the key to an exchange. Cold War paranoia is more than evident in the early part of the story, Donovan's own son asks him, "You're not a Communist, so why are you defending one"?
It's not made clear how much Donovan's pressure impacted the judge in sentencing Abel, who early on insisted this was an open and shut case, with Donovan's court strategy merely window dressing. I was surprised how little time was offered for Francis Gary Powers' (Austin Stowell) role in the film, but that apparently was not the emphasis of the story. I was only six years old when these events unfolded but somehow (amazingly) can recall Powers' name in headlines of the day.
There's always a question about historical accuracy with films like this, but that shouldn't sway one's interest in seeing the picture. The story is gripping and does a good job in demonstrating Donovan's resolve to protect his client's rights while remaining faithful to the principles of the Constitution. His reaction to East Germans being shot at the Berlin Wall attempting to escape was an unsubtle reminder that even though the events depicted occurred over a half century ago, they still resonate strongly with viewers who were alive at the time.