Decent Historical Thriller

Rating: 7/10 (17 October 2015)

I did not come to Bridge of Spies with particularly high expectations. Based on the commercials, it looked like an attempt to put a patriotic spin on what was an extremely embarrassing international incident for the United States. However, even though Steven Spielberg brings his usual optimistic outlook to the proceedings, he still crafts a well done film, boosted by an excellent cast and a script by the Coen brothers.
Bridge of Spies focuses on the early 1960s prisoner exchange of Soviet spy Rudolph Abel for captured American pilot Francis Gary Powers and graduate student Frederick Pryor. Tom Hanks gives a strong performance as James Donovan, the American lawyer pressured into representing Abel and ultimately negotiating the exchange deal with the Soviets. He is backed by a strong supporting cast, especially Mark Rylance as Abel. Rylance deserves a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the very least.
The proceedings are prevented from descending into historical pageantry through a strong, witty script by the Coen Brothers. The serious national security proceedings are permeated with humor, particularly from the deadpan Abel. The script also manages to maintain a certain level of suspense, not a small feat given that we know how the events turned out. At the same time, the film offers important messages about the true nature of patriotism, lessons that are all too needed nowadays since patriotism has been reduced to militaristic fervor.
The film does have some notable flaws. At times the pacing is rather slow, and the proceedings may lose the interest those with weaker attention spans. Furthermore, it downplays just how embarrassing the U-2 shoot down was for the United States, particularly after President Eisenhower was caught lying about the U-2 program at a US-Soviet summit. Nevertheless, the film is well worth your time.