An excellent character-driven movie about the Cold War

Rating: 9/10 (5 December 2015)

This film ticked a lot of boxes for me. I am very fond of well-crafted spy movies, enjoy historical settings, love the acting of Mark Rylance and have a thing for intelligent screenplays. They are all here, plus Spielberg's renowned direction and a sterling performance by Tom Hanks in the lead role. The movie is doing well at the box office for which it can thank its bankable names and gripping main sequences - it's hard to go wrong with a high profile trial followed by a prisoner exchange, with some Cold War hysteria thrown in for good measure. All provide lots of tension without standing in the way of some very interesting character development. The relationship between Hanks and Rylance is really well managed. What great actors they both are: in their scenes together there is so much superb interaction in speech and body language. The New York and Berlin locations are exceptionally well recreated, a positive joy to watch. A lot of research, thought and professionalism have gone into this film. Some issues: not much material for the female lead to work with (blame that on the time setting), a bit of a sag in the transition between NYC and East Berlin, some clumsy humour (the so-called family and the delivery bikes in the corridor) and that trademark Spielberg sentimentality in the closing scenes. But these are minor blemishes on a film which should bring in a whole bunch of Oscars next spring.