Bridge of Spies (2015)

[Edgy MD]

At the height of Cold War tensions, an insurance lawyer (Tom Hanks) gets improbably recruited by CIA Director Allen Dulles to negotiate an exchange of prisoners. As out of his element as he is, he's not above going a little rogue.

Tom Hanks stars and Steven Speilberg directs. Thomas Newman scores, which is amazing in that it's the first time Speilberg hasn't used John Williams in seemingly forever. (Since 1985's The Color Purple, actually. I just looked it up) I don't know if that means Williams is in semi-retirement or he is just up to his eyeballs in Star Wars work, or maybe it's just what it is.

Anyhow, it kind of splits in half, with the first half being a courtroom drama without much courtroom, and the second half being a thriller without much action. But tension mounts. It does manage to mount. I'm always a little leery of films labeled "Inspired by True Events," but there I was last night, soaking it up with a box of Junior Mints.

[fimg=350]http://img.123movies.to/2015/10/20/poster/Bridge_Of_Spies_2015.jpg[/fimg]

[Frayed Knot]

This movie just came on an award-season re-release to a theatre near me so I recently got around to checking it out.

First thing I notice is that the Tom Hanks in that promo poster (above) looks about 10, if not 15, years younger than the Tom Hanks who was in the movie. TH is not a young man anymore and apparently air-brushing is no longer just for aging actresses.
(looking it up) the real James Donovan was 41 y/o when he defended Rudolf Abel, 46 when he went on the mission to trade for Lt. Powers, and was dead by the age of 53, more than half a decade before reaching Hanks's current age of 59. Not that that's a major flaw in the movie or anything, more like standard operating procedure in Hollywood casting.

Would probably fall somewhere in the middle of my (now 13 titles long) list of 2015 releases. Some suspense in the plot even as it built towards a not very suspenseful conclusion; a very good snapshot, I thought, of Berlin at the height of cold war tensions with the almost comical (although not particularly funny) portrayal of the suffocating layers of bureaucracy and paranoia of the Soviet/satellite state in that era.
Interesting at times but not necessarily gripping.

Third thought is that the idea (probably even the betting favorite) of Sylvester Stallone winning a best supporting actor trophy over this English actor Mark Rylance who played the Russian Abel would be a true travesty of justice if such a phrase can even be assigned to a silly awards show.

[Guest themetfairy]

I'm holding out until next week when BoS becomes available on FiOS.

[Guest El Segundo Escupidor]

Tom Hanks stars as Billy Beane and some East German dude as Steve Phillips.

Taking a look back at the Powers and Pryor for Abel trade -- Pryor who was the throw-in in the deal had the most promising career holding various academic posts. Powers' career was cut tragically short whereas Abel retired immediately.

I thought the movie did a very good job at creating tension even though we knew what transpired in real life. Sorta reminded me of ARGO in that respect.

[Guest themetfairy]

A middle of the road drama. Good but not great, featuring solid acting performances.

In a stronger year there's no way it would receive any Oscar consideration.