Good, but not great

Rating: 6/10 (29 April 2020)

Good, but not great. Started well but drifted excessively in the middle third or so. The result is a 160-minute movie, when, with a bit of good editing and discipline, it could have been 2 hours, and much more interesting.
Decent enough plot, but, as mentioned, drawn out too much. Direction from Steven Spielberg is spot-on, as you would imagine. Sumptuous distance- and panning-shots.
A 13-year old Christian Bale, in his second cinema-movie role, puts in a great performance. Solid supporting cast - John Malkovich, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano, Miranda Richardson. Interesting too in that Ben Stiller, also in his second cinema-movie, has a very minor role.