Watchable, forgettable, Hollywood caramelized drama

Rating: 6/10 (29 November 2015)

With all the power names in this film it has all the potential to be one of the greatest. And sadly, this watchable and reasonably entertaining film falls incredibly flat on many accounts if you're someone who uses your brain. When a film relies upon a character study and doesn't have lots of action, there needs to be a proper foundation to justify why characters act the way they do - and that clearly wasn't the case here. And the film's attempt to be clever outsmarts itself.
In summary, Hanks plays an insurance defense lawyer. He's recruited to be the face of a defense for an alleged Russian spy. The full details of the spy are unfortunately just left for the viewers imagination. There is a complete lack of developing the character other than "a dispassionate old guy who likes to paint and look like a nice old man" that Tom Hanks finds his heart bleeding after a meeting. There seems no question that the man is guilty. But Tom Hanks decides to go all the way to defend this man and beyond, in spite of being demonized in public as the defender of a traitor. Things get complicated when a US pilot is captured in Russia and an innocent American student as well in Germany.
The performances are excellent. There is some witty dialogue and some character study, unquestionably the unrivaled abilities of the Coen brothers. I found the first 1/3 of the film to be the most engaging, by far.
But as much as I admire their work, this film has Spielberg shmaltz draped all over it. And this ultimately is what makes this film (a) totally predictable; and (b) overly dramatic to the point of groaning multiple times. I found myself drawn completely outside of the movie when it was clear that these actors were just caricatures and very shallow, cardboard cutouts. The film was cardboard, mostly telling a noble series of events without knowing very much at all about all of the players. There is precious little to understand the true motives of any of the characters. And then there will be repeated one-liners for laughs (I thought the characters would wink at the screen) and moments where you could practically hear the director call for the camera to pan out and admire the actor, transfixed in his expression which makes a bold, iconic statement. (Yeah, I'm guessing it all went down just like that, a dramatic artistic moment.)
It's an entertaining film but make no mistake before you decided to go -- this has Hollywood draped all over what you would not expect from a Coen Brothers script. If you can shut down your brain and cheer for American patriotism, you'll very much enjoy the film. But if you're a thinking person who picks up on subtle cues, you may find this a very contrived and predictable work.