Tense, Fresh, Even-Handed Perspective on Cold War Negotiations

Rating: 7/10 (1 February 2016)

Hanks and Spielberg tackle a Cold War spy-exchange against the backdrop of a freshly-constructed Berlin Wall. As one might expect from these old masters, it's expertly-crafted and loaded with gravitas; a warm, motivated take on a surprisingly under-explored chapter of recent history. It does a great job of delicately re-evaluating popular sentiment and the bullish nature of post-war international relations, too, painting heroes and victims on both sides of the dispute. The plot is very linear, though, moving on a predictable set of rails from start to finish, and that can make it feel preachy when a few of the more heavy-handed themes briefly overstay their welcome. A foundationally-strong, workmanlike offering, it's 50% desperately-uphill legal drama and 50% high stakes poker with a set of captive American souls as the ante.