This year hasn't been very exceptional when it comes to movies that I stayed glued to the entire time. I haven't been riveted very often this year and provided with that special feeling of "this is why I go to the movies". Other than a few exceptions, and the one large exception with The Martian, this has been a very mediocre year. Not that it's been overwhelmingly bad... it's just been underwhelmingly underwhelming. Thank God Steven Spielberg, the Coen Brothers and Tom Hanks got together to give us something spectacular before the end of the year. Bridge of Spies, much like The Martian, has rocketed right up to the top of the 2015 list for me as one of the best movies of the year and definitely one of my favorites.
I swear, Tom Hanks could film himself doing the dishes, filing his taxes, and taking out the garbage and I would be glued to the screen. There really isn't anything un-watchable about any of his performances. Even Larry Crowne which was an abysmal film, was still watchable enough due to Hanks' charm and charisma and overall screen presence. He can make a bad movie mediocre, a mediocre movie good, and a good movie great. Bridge of Spies, even without Tom Hanks would've been a fantastic film, but the fact that it was already great to begin with is made that much more exemplary due to Hanks starring in the film. Hanks plays the true life character of financial lawyer James Donovan. Donovan is forced by his firm to represent an alleged Russian spy caught in the midst of the Cold War and give him the proper defense. This, in turn, makes Donovan the second most hated man in America. Once the trial is over and America has their Russian spy in prison, one of our spy pilots is captured in Soviet territory. Donovan is then recruited by the CIA to go to the Soviet Union and negotiate the swap of our spy for theirs.
On paper, this is just a cold war thriller/biopic, but in the hands of capable writers in the Coen Brothers and a masterful director, Steven Spielberg, the film is elevated to the highest capacity. It's not just a court case the first half and a chilling negotiation in the second half. There are levels of character and fear going on throughout. While Donovan is essentially, in the eyes of the American public, betraying his country to defend a Soviet spy, not once does he ask him if he's actually a spy. It's not because he knows that he is, but because it doesn't matter to him. Every man has the right to a defense and he understands that even IF he is a spy, it's because he was ordered to be one. If he is a spy, and he's not giving in to the demands of the government and revealing his secrets, then he's a damn good spy who is loyal to his country. What we get from our spy, Abel, is a quiet, charming and personal man who loves to paint. He's not evil. He's not selling secrets with the intent of harming innocent people of America. He's a man, just as Donovan, given a task from his country and performed with perfection. The conversations that Donovan and Abel have and the bond they form throughout the film is the heart of the film Even when Donovan is negotiating the swap, he's concerned about the American prisoners he's tasked to get back, but he's also concerned that Abel, once returned, isn't going to be shot for treason.
The writing in the film is really top notch and Spielberg hasn't been this capable since Catch Me If You Can. We all know that Spielberg is a rock star in the world of filmmaking, but he has the ability with a stale script to provide a stale film. Lincoln was surrounded by outstanding performances, but the script itself was a touch stale. War Horse was just plain yogurt. No fruit on bottom, no nuts, nothing. Greek bullshit. So, it's nice to see Spielberg back to form with a little help from Hanks, who, as he ages, proves that he really is this generation's Jimmy Stewart, James Cagney, all the greats from yore. There's good humor in the film as well, something that the Coen Brothers excel at. It doesn't matter the subject matter of their writing, there's always going to be that slight Coen touch of humor that humanizes people, gives life back into the story, and provides us with well-rounded characters.
Bridge of Spies is hands down one of the best movies I've seen this year and I'm sure it's no news to you that with the perfect actor/writer/director combination that it has going for it that it succeeds in every aspect it reaches for. It's not an action-packed film, but it is an interesting story told by some serious Hollywood veterans. It's the biopic that we deserve in a year filled with Greek yogurt.
A
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