Getting across the wall

Rating: 6/10 (21 January 2017)

Bridge of Spies is a pedestrian cold war drama that combines the talents of Steven Spielberg and the Coen brothers. It really is a literal title as the climax takes place on a bridge and it has spies.
Tom Hanks plays an insurance lawyer. We are meant to root for him even though as he tries to stiff a personal injury lawyer. Remember folks, his insured driver injured five people but he wants to limit it as one claim.
Hanks really has the hang of these types of characters now, sturdy, steady, steadfast with just a hint of overacting. He plays James Donovan who is called in to defend Rudolf Abel a captured KGB spy operating in the USA. He places his life at risk to save him from the death penalty, being astute enough to realise that Abel may become useful in later years. So it does when the Russians capture a U-2 spy plane pilot. Donovan then has to put his personal safety at risk by going to East Germany to negotiate a spy swap.
The film features a critically acclaimed performance from Mark Rylance who plays Abel and won a best supporting actor Oscar. Rylance is an example of a subtle, understated performance.
Spielberg is a master craftsman but the film is just too cumbersome and stuffy. It never has the labyrinthic thrills of a John Le Carre story. There is some wonderful art direction but the film really needed some zap.