Solid political thriller

Rating: 6/10 (18 December 2015)

"Bridge of Spies" is the newest Steven Spielberg movie as of 2015 and once again Tom Hanks plays the main character in here. I was particularly curious about this film because I knew they were shooting here about a year ago and there is a lot of German background as the final crucial scene takes place here in Berlin. It is a pretty solid film by the books. Hanks is rock-solid as always and carries this film nicely, even if I would not go so far and say he is among the best performances this year. But he is not getting too much awards attention really, so it's fine I guess. The one getting tons of awards recognition is Mark Rylance, who is even considered a possible Academy Award winner in the supporting category. I thought he was decent, but I am not so sure if he was really that outstanding.
Back to the film and away from the performances, this film is a decent watch for everybody with an interest in films about politics. It is set during the Cold War when a Russian spy gets caught and there is an exchange with an American soldier who was held captive in Russia. Most of the film is actually the preparation for this exchange and even the trial of Abel (the Russian spy played by Rylance), in which he faces the death penalty. In my opinion, the film was a bit sterile at times. I never felt any real emotions watching this. So it's not a bad film at all, but I felt the topic could have been dealt with maybe with a more personal approach. Spielberg's direction left me unattached mostly. It was interesting, yes, but I never felt really involved at any point and that is quite a shame as the topic certainly offers material of great emotion as well. Then again, this is a problem that is the case with many Spielberg films in my opinion, but that is just personal perception. I vaguely knew about the exchange, but I'm sure most Americans and non-Germans probably don't, especially the younger generation, which makes it even more informative.
Finally, I recommend this movie. I am not too sure how accurate everything we see is and I am sure there are lots of additions for dramatic purpose, but that's not a problem at all. All films have such. And in the end, there is a reference about the main character's negotiations with Fidel Castro, which alone could be material enough for a complete film. I recommend watching "Bridge of Spies", even if it's nowhere near my personal favorites from 2015.