Hanks and Spielberg..............Sweet!

Rating: 9/10 (12 January 2016)

There was a recent case when a lawyer nominated to represent a terrorist in India faced a lot of flak in the media. People were just aghast at a killer getting legal representation and a comfortable cell, all at the cost of a society he had sworn to wipe off the face of the earth.
James B. Donovan brings to life the very same dilemma and drives home the need for a civilised society to accord basic human rights to even the most depraved criminals. And to make such a delicate case, you need a Spielberg and a Tom Hanks.
Tom Hanks brings a certain sincerity to the role that makes every word, every thought of Donovan believable. He perfectly depicts the angst of a man denied the chance to do what he believes, nay, knows is right. He keeps quiet when the judge does so, but let's the CIA agent have a mouthful. A quiet, short, but very strong lecture on being American.
This is the Spielberg touch, subtly slipping in strong messages. The rescued pilot's desperation to prove he wasn't broken, Agent Abel's grim future after returning to the USSR, these are all conveyed so very subtly, but firmly. James Donovan being sidelined in his firm.after the appeal is as subtly conveyed to him as to the audience, but neither is in any doubt.
Same is the case with young Pryor. He could have been left as a name, generating no empathy with us. Or he could have led a lesser storyteller to digress from the plot. But Spielberg gives him just the right amount of screen time. It enables us to empathise with Donovan's desperation to exceed his brief.
Mark Rylance was an absolute delight. He depicts the Soviet spy exactly as was required. A stereotypical depiction would have made the audience too hate Donovan for supporting a monster. Mark Rylance portrays the calm acceptance of a man who knows the exact nature of his job and is pragmatic about the outcomes.
And it is his description of Donovan that could have been an alternate title for the movie - Standing Man.