Spielberg's greatest feat in some time, a masterclass of direction

Rating: 9/10 (26 October 2015)

Like the master-craftsman of his art that he is, Steven Spielberg just keeps on producing the goods. Sure his films may include the likes of 1942 and the last misguided Indiana Jones movie outing, but for someone that's directed 31 feature films its incredible there's not an absolute stinker in a career that's spaned in excess of 50 years. Where Bridge of Spies might rank among the bearded hat wearing gurus career however can only be decided by time but there's little doubt this cold war thriller is an absolute treat of cinematic produce.
Tense, taut and most tellingly, meticulously shot and edited, Spies is quite possibly Spielberg's finest film in a decade.
Working with his usual and trusted production crew including D.O.P Janusz Kaminski and editor Michael Kahn (sadly John Williams doesn't score Spies, perhaps he was busy in a galaxy far far away?), Spies really does see Spielberg achieve fantastic overall results, especially from his team up with writers Joel and Ethan Coen who were bought in to touch up Matt Charman's original script.
While it's not got the heart of Spielberg's most revered films like E.T, Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan or the pure spectacle of ventures like Jaws or Minority Report, it's still clear Spielberg had a blast creating this thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat almost entirely through its scripting and construction. Spies in many ways feels cut from the same cloth as Spielberg's Munich, just much more tightly focused.
In recent times Spielberg may've achieved good if not stunning outcomes in tales like Lincoln and War Horse but Spies is just a purely unbridled joy led by yet another great Spielberg directed performance of Tom Hanks.
Himself experiencing good not incredible films of recent times, Spies allows Hanks to once more display the everyman American that's driven his career and his hardworking lawyer that really just wants a good night's sleep, James B. Donovan, will here go down as one of his all times best.
His the star of the ensemble, Spielberg allowing him a showing in almost every scene and Hanks nails it. Delivering just like the film around him does, seemingly with the ease of the ticking of a clocks second hand.
Put simply, a near faultless production that lacks ever so slightly some true emotional punches or set pieces that would've made it a 5 star masterpiece, Bridge of Spies is yet again further reminder to all as to why Spielberg is the true movie making king and this is a film that will likely see him and his crew seriously contend at the next Oscar ceremony.
Bridge of Spies is without question a definite much watch for all cinema lovers.
4 ½ American breakfast's out of 5