Appreciated but not loved!

Rating: 6/10 (18 October 2015)

Set in the Cold War era, in Brooklyn, Bridge of Spies is a story about a successful insurance prosecutor, James B Donovan (Tom Hanks) who is given a case to defend a Russian spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance). A true nationalist and yet an idealist lawyer, James draw a lot of flak from his men for his earnest and professional efforts in the case. But soon, his ideology leads him to a precarious task of rescuing an American pilot, a task gravely sensitive for the two conflicting nations. The movie is not a nail biting thriller which the title or the trailer or Saving Private Ryan might have suggested. This is a very evenly paced drama, predictable for most of the time but boasts of meticulous details, a hallmark of Mr Spielberg. The story is inherently a little weak, yet Mr Spielberg manages to spin off a decent movie out of it. James and Rudolf really hit it off and it is fun to watch them together. Tom Hanks is at his usual best and Mark Rylance befits the character of an extraordinarily wise, artistic and resolute Russian soldier. Other characters are not of much significance and a couple of them actually seem needless. The movie follows a depiction of the event as it happened and doesn't display any deliberate dramatization. Consequently, it doesn't evoke any strong emotions while watching which some people might actually prefer. Personally, I believe a better connect and impact would have made this movie far more memorable. This definitely is a decent, American film which scores completely on actors, cinematography (involving 1960 Brooklyn) and direction. But considering what Mr Spielberg and Mr Hanks have done before, I had stomach for more.