Member review

"Would it help?" says Rudolf Abel, when asked why he isn't worrying about a possible death sentence for being a Soviet Spy. It's that kind of darkly funny tone that looms over Bridge of Spies, and I guess it's no wonder when you see that it was the Coen Brothers that polished the script! It's the Cold War, and tensions are at breaking point between America and the Soviet Union. Rudolf Abel, played by Mark Rylance, is arrested by the US on suspicion of being a spy; and a lawyer named James B. Donovan, played by Tom Hanks, is chosen to represent him. Bridge of Spies is a very slow film. There is close to nothing that could possibly be described as action - but that doesn't mean it's not thrilling. The scenes, which are beautifully shot by Janusz Kamiński and are scored by Thomas Newman (not John Williams, which is the second time it's been a different composer in a Spielberg film, after the Colour Purple. He does an good but not especially memorable job), are extremely tense. There is always this constant threat that something could go wrong. And the dialogue is just wonderful - hilarious, scary, powerful. The two lead performances in Bridge of Spies are Oscar worthy. Tom Hanks gives a great performance as Donovan. He speaks the dialogue with such a natural flow. His acting is so good that you actually forget that you're watching Tom Hanks. You're watching James B. Donovan. And, although he never says much, Mark Rylance gives an incredibly poignant portrayal of Rudolf Abel, the Soviet Spy. His performance is so layered, and he manages to play across a variety of emotions with a single expression. But these incredible performances can make the others seem disappointing. For example, Scott Shepherd is certainly not bad as CIA Agent Hoffman, but he is really unmemorable and his character could have been a much more enduring presence. The film is absolutely fascinating though, and it gets even more enthralling when Donovan goes to East Berlin to negotiate with the Soviets the release of newly captured US Pilot Francis Gary Powers in exchange for Rudolf Abel. The negotiation scenes are brilliantly acted, and the excellent direction from Steven Spielberg really comes into play. He utilises long takes of dialogue brilliantly, and then cuts to a close up at the perfect time for maximum emotional impact. Also, there is a scene set in a plane, probably the films only action scene, which is absolutely breathtaking. Flawlessly directed. I did have a little bit of a problem with a shot in the very last scene though, which is a bit of a spoiler so I won't explain it, but I thought it was a bit obvious and kind of ruined an otherwise clever comparison. Verdict: Steven Spielberg's direction is beautiful, adapting the Coen Brothers excellent script with flare. It's the two main performances that will stay with you though, with Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance proving that they are two of the greatest actors currently working.