Bridge of Spies (2015)

[Plain Old Tele]

Discuss.

[AniNate]

An understated political drama that really benefits from the Spielberg touch. He makes 141 minutes of verbal negotiation thoroughly engaging, and Hanks of course is the perfect guy for this role

[Blankments]

Surprised by this one. Spielberg’s touch is felt throughout, and, with the exception of a single scene, it’s never overbearing. Hanks doesn’t really melt in the role, but that’s okay. He works as a presence rather than a performance. Rylance steals the show with a fun subtle performance, and the rest of the cast does their roles admirably. Thomas Newman’s score is decent, but the Coens’ script shines, full of intrigue and humor. It’s a tense thriller that never gets boring (with the exception of the last ten minutes, but Spielberg’s gonna Spielberg) and one of my favorites of the year. A+

[Travod]

Agree with the above. Had my full attention the entire way through until the Spielberg-type last 10 minutes. 

[Webslinger]

With Bridge of Spies, Steven Spielberg has done it again. Like Lincoln three years ago, I initially wrote the film off to some degree because of the trailers that promised a sober, self-important examination of a significant historical event. However, just as was the case with Lincoln, Spielberg brings the setting to extremely vivid, engaging life, as even scenes that are entirely dialogue-driven feel as immediate and weighty as any of the film's well-executed visual flourishes. The most surprising factor, however, is how well Spielberg's more sweepingly cinematic style gels with the script that was co-written by the decidedly less sentimental Coen Brothers; even though some moments feel distinctly Spielbergian, it utilizes the script's slyly witty and playful edge perfectly, and all without sacrificing the levels of tension and intrigue inherent in the segment set in East Germany. The history at hand is fascinating, and all parties involved make it feel remarkably immediate from start to finish. While the film isn't as much of an acting showcase as Lincoln was, it still boasts some very strong work from Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance. Hanks fills the everyman angle of his character perfectly, and the quiet-but-unshakable conviction that he displays makes his character's actions feel both noble and believable. Rylance is also quite impressive in a much more humanized, even-handed portrayal of a Russian spy than we've seen in other films; he never overplays his hand, yet the grace that he brings to the performance allows him to linger in viewers' minds even though he is offscreen for significant stretches of the running time. Like Rylance's performance, the film on the whole feels like an unexpected, yet wholly-welcome revelation for its genre: it's as thrilling as one would expect from a film with its subject matter, yet it's also so humorous and human that it earns its feel-good ending. In my book, it belongs among the ten best efforts from Spielberg, which is no small praise when one considers the man's prolific resume.

 

A

[lilmac]

A+

 

• Deft direction, acting, etc.
•  
• Smart script (for instance, I love how the movie didn't explain just how Hanks' daughter got stood up for the dinner date. We knew it was Tom's assistant...no need to explain and Spielberg didn't in an overt way).
•  
• Great acting.
•  
• So many uplifting moments (the very end when his wife realizes where he had been, for example).

[jb007]

Excellent movie. Spielberg and Hanks have created another gem. Rylance is superb. This easily ranks among the best movies of the past decade.

Spielberg's range is unlimited. He is just as good at almost anything he tries. 

A+

[4815162342]

Rylance is great in a very understated performance. The audience loved his "would it help" go-to line.

[baumer]

I'd never heard of Rylance before.  I think after this, I'll never forget him.  He should be a shoe in for best supporting actor.  Absolutely terrific.  I pretty much loved the film.  It's very subdued, far from flashy but it's pretty much fantastic in every way.

9.5/10

[Goffe]

Spielberg turns an okay-ish story into an incredibly engaging movie. I personally think that the ideal ending would have been when the movie fades to black in a close-up shot on Hanks's face, right there at the bridge, it would have been much more effective than the following 10 minutes we got, which feels incredibly mechanical and unnecessary. I was not a fan of the score, while mostly decent, it was rather inappropriate at times, the tired Williams patriotic tune didn't fit in at all.

 

Why are people not talking about the movie's cinematography? it's spectacular, my favorite sequences (visually) was Hanks being chased in the rain and the whole climax at the bridge. 75/100

Edited November 5, 2015 by Goffe

[The Panda]

One of the most engaging films of the year, and its done all in a court of law and negotiations.  I went into this movie feeling sick and tired and I went out fairly uplifted.

 

It feels like a classic Spielberg movie and i got a little emotional at the end at how it manages to offer some glimmer of hope about humanity in general.  Its about doing the right thing when everything is against you, and how that can succeed in the end, and it's fairly touching.

 

The performances are solid, and really let the characters shine through.

 

i don't have any real complaints about this movie, its overall a great watch and well worth the watch.

 

A

[Water Bottle]

A bit disjointed at times but it's a pretty good movie that tells a pretty great story.

 

B+

[JohnnyGossamer]

Just high class work from Spielberg, the Coens, Hanks, et al. Really enjoyed it. Such an agreeable throwback. Simple yet executed to near perfection. B+/A-.

[BadAtGender]

It wasn't until close to the end of the movie that I realized John Williams hadn't composed the score. Newman nails evoking Williams' emotion to a T, which fits in perfectly with Spielberg's sure direction.

 

4/5

[Lordmandeep]

To me its a great movie if you dont know how it will end.

 

However if you do, then it does not hold you for 2+ hours.

 

 

This is one of the films to go in not knowing the history. 

[Michael Gary Scott]

Great movie Hanks was great. 

4.5/5

[RobinHood26]

Didn't like this as much as I thought I would, but its still good. Direction is great and so are all the tech categories although the score wasn't there. The movie's subplot stuff didn't fully work for me. Loved Hanks.

 

B (83)

[filmlover]

My review from seeing it opening weekend (where I saw it as a double feature with Crimson Peak on a Saturday lol):

 

Not quite "high-tier Spielberg" but not quite "high-tier Spielberg" is still better than 90% of today's cinema. This is a very solid entry into the spy genre from one of, if not the most, beloved director of all time. Tom Hanks can play this kind of role in his sleep, but the movie belongs to a terrific Mark Rylance. B+

[Ezen Baklattan]

Spielberg truly excels at both spectacle and nuance, and looking back on this film, it really stands as one of the best of the past year, and it's possibly one of my favorite Hanks performances. This might be my favorite Berg film of the past decade, but I need to rewatch Munich and Lincon before making such a claim. 

[Lordmandeep]

Sub par effort by spielberg, but as the history was known to me there was no tension in the film for me