Triumphant Approach

Rating: Null/10 (19 October 2015)

Bridge of Spies centers a lawyer who gets involved on defending a Soviet spy during the Cold War, meanwhile an American pilot was captured from the Soviet Union after a failed infiltration mission; having both sides even. This can be called a war movie, except it takes place in another side of the war; where we see people making decisions, having negotiations and such; might be recalling Spielberg's last film, Lincoln. Though some people may not be fond of the similarity, Bridge of Spies however manages to bring more humor and excitement within this journey. The plot remains rigorous, yet finds some real humanity, anyway. There are many reasons to get hooked into this film; from the story to the craft, whether it's big or small, the entirety is just excellent.
The opening is already impressive, having a wordless prologue showing what this Soviet spy does in his job, hidden behind his innocent mannerism and appearance. It's simple, but tense and catches your attention, filling you with intriguing questions about this man's work. And then we cut to James Donovan, played by Tom Hanks, who is supposed to help this spy who was just captured and becomes a notorious man for defending an enemy of the nation. But things get tougher when he gets on an espionage, and then there's more. Despite the plot goes through a lot of directions, it never gets tedious and that might be because it's brought with some levity and sharp writing. But of course, the movie is on point with its theme. Basically acknowledging that no one is particularly good or bad in this war, both nations are having the same struggle, except Donovan strives to represent his country better by not only defending their spy, but also defending his own nation's integrity.
And ironically, the Soviet spy happens to have more empathy in this film compared to the American spy. He can still be a threat for handling information, but he is actually a quiet old man who isn't afraid of anything. And his small moments with Donovan are instantly winning, mostly by its profoundness. In the midst of people arguing how to retrieve back their spies as safely as possible, the viewers shouldn't be worried by a stick-in-the-mud plotting, because the film hints with subtle humor. But of course, there is some suspense to be seen, as well. The opening is just the most interesting for its sense of mystery; the rest of the set pieces are just tension of people probably getting into trouble.
And these scenes won't be as effective if it weren't for Steven Spielberg himself. The smaller scenes are obviously gripping and given warmth when they needed to, while the larger ones have brimming spectacle. The overall imagery always look great due to its stunning cinematography. The Coen Brothers, as the co-writers of this film, can obviously be noticed by the film's levity and some subtlety, as well. The acting is all predictable, with Tom Hanks being terribly engaging as James Donovan, but the more notable actor, Mark Rylance, brings a less showy performance, yet given something more to his moments.
Bridge of Spies is stellar, simply by its craft and how it straightforwardly retells this story. It doesn't necessarily try to heighten the stakes beyond than what's necessary, in which some viewers can be disappointed, but the movie offers something more earnest and riveting. There is still a fine dose of suspense, though it actually handles a variety of tones: there are moments of coldness, but there are also moments that lighten itself up; making each account quite affecting and most importantly, entertaining, in this case of these men finding better justice for saving each other's spies, during one of the toughest times in history. And it's all done much you would expect from these filmmaking and acting talents.