Missing something

Rating: 5/10 (17 October 2015)

It was opening night, the theater was packed and I was expecting greatness. After all, this story is right in Spielberg's wheelhouse. The time period, cold war, Tom Hanks, the stars were aligned. I will start with this notion, Spielberg's movies are always well acted, always well shot and always beautifully scored. Bridge of Spies does not fail this standard. There are clearly some remarkable acting performances. It wouldn't be a surprise to see some trophies handed out for this work. The director got what he needed, superb acting. The actors did not get what they need, superb story telling. It is the only thing missing here but it's a biggie.
If you know anything about the real life story of James Donovan you could easily imagine a truly exciting movie. The opening credit sequence included this line...Based on Real Events. This disclaimer gives license to the director to "Hollywood up" the story. So basically there are no excuses. In Munich, the director pealed your sole with great story telling, tension and acting. Bridge of Spies had that potential, at least, that's what I was expecting. Tension was left out of this movie for some reason. I theorize Spielberg did this intensionally. Why? Somebody should ask him.