A nice, old fashioned thriller that could have done with a bit more bite

Rating: 7/10 (12 December 2015)

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
At the height of the Cold War, suspected Soviet informant Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is captured, and is due to stand trial. Idealistic lawyer James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) agrees to represent him, at a great personal cost to himself and his family. But as the situation escalates, and casualties start being taken on the Russian side, it builds to a dramatic settlement outside the courtroom that will test both sides.
Hanks and Spielberg are almost like their own company, obviously an effective partnership that has produced a number of high quality, epic productions over the years. The first thought bound to run through your mind when you see the latest offering from them is: what can go wrong? And so, the third film in a row I've reviewed that's been about spies unravels before me. Artistically, it's everything you'd expect on the tin, two seasoned professionals doing their thing and delivering the goods. In the end, though, it's just a bit too under-whelming to be great.
In a day and age of relentless, flashy, fast paced CGI spectacles, it is refreshing to see such an intelligent and intricate story up on the big screen, taking its time to unfold and present all the facts. The drama itself does need to be pretty compelling, though, and sadly Bridge of Spies doesn't always maintain the most exciting pace. Hanks himself is serviceable, but hardly gives the most stirring performance of his career. But then, the trailer promised a dramatization of a man who risks losing everything, whose endurance and sanity are pushed to the very limit, but the script just never really delivers this, just a slow, plodding trot to the end, so he hardly finds himself stretched.
It's an undeniably well made, intelligent and generally involving affair, if you're willing to pay attention, it just could have done with a little more meat on the bones underneath. ***