Bridge of Spies2015

84/100 This is another one of Spielberg's political thrillers, as well as another one of his war dramas. However, to my surprise, I found this one much better than most others he's directed of these genres. Really, it's a marvel how good this film is from almost all perspectives. For one, Spielberg's direction is great here, and the way he frames the courtroom drama and the political tension, making both feel equally tense, is great. He also paints a great picture of a Cold War America, as well as an occupied Berlin. However, even Spielberg's greatness as a director pales in comparision to the Coen brothers' script here, with writing which works great for most scenes. In particular, I enjoyed how the film utilized its courtroom drama for a subject a lesser film would dramatize for maximum action. The best thing about the film, however, are its themes. The film shows the true essence of democracy and how the government for the people may diverge from the wishes of the people in pursuit of true justice, with the protagonist, James Donovan, pursuing a fair trial for the Soviet spy even when the public calls for a predetermined fate. The value of human life and how war can distract us from it is a theme that carries on even after the film stops being a courtroom drama, with US officers dismissing a German prisoner and focusing on an American pilot's rescue, as well as Donovan's attempts to save both providing great tension through his political manipulation. However, that brings me to my main critique of this film, and that's James Donovan, the protagonist. He's not bad by any means, Tom Hanks is doing everything he can to save him, but he's certainly a mixed bag, as the plot's idealization of him makes it hard for me to find him interesting. At every turn, it seems like Donovan only does the right thing and always knows the right thing to do. I know this was based on a true story, but I doubt it was this simple in real life and even if it was, that doesn't make him more interesting to watch. However, as I mentioned before, Tom Hanks does a lot to make the character at least somewhat fun to watch, and he's helped along by an excellent supporting cast. I liked Sebastian Koch, even if his role was relatively minor, but by favourite by far is Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel, making me love the character almost immediately. Overall, the film's certainly a bit rough around the edges, but it knows how to keep itself polished enough to hide it for the most part. It's a tense thriller with both good direction and a good script combining to create an all-around great product.