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Bridge of Spies

Did you ever read something and then, some time later, wished you could remember when and where so you could give proper attribution? That's happened to me, as I recall reading the opinion that, in the years to come, just as with 1994's Shawshank Redemption, Bridge of Spies would come to be recognized as the best film of 2015. Despite my love for Mad Max: Fury Road, I'm beginning to agree with that prediction.

In the late 1950s, as the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union begins to become more and more frigid, Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is arrested by the FBI. American attorney James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is assigned to represent Abel in court. Abel is found guilty of espionage and sentenced to federal prison. Shortly thereafter, an American U-2 spy plane is shot down as it attempts a long-range overflight of the Soviet Union. Its pilot, Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is captured, tried, and found guilty of espionage. Donovan is recruited by the government to negotiate a prisoner exchange, Abel for Powers. Complications ensue.

I've been a fan of Steven Spielberg since Jaws (earlier, if you count Duel, though at the time of its broadcast I didn't know he was the director). He's the only director working today who can capture 100% of my attention 100% of the time, even if a particular film is less than stellar. Yes, I enjoy the works of others, such as Ang Lee or Martin Scorsese, but Spielberg seems to know exactly what I want to get out of a film. While he's made a stinker or two, and a couple of films which are, to one extent or another, morally bankrupt, even at his worst the quality of his films is striking.

One of the first things that struck me while watching Bridge of Spies was how there's not a single bad performance. To the contrary, each and every actor seems to be punching above their grade. You expect exemplary work from Tom Hanks, but here even the slightest of performances is rendered with verve and gusto. Take for example Peter McRobbie as Allen Dulles, the legendary first civilian head of the CIA who recruits Donovan to negotiate Powers' release. McRobbie's performance is marvelous, full of nuance. Amy Ryan, as Donovan's wife, Mary, renders a perfect balance of stoicism and concern. On and on, throughout the entire cast. Each is a little marvel in their own right.

As Abel, Mark Rylance is a revelation. Watching him engage in the intricate tradecraft of being a spy is wonderful. His telling of the tale of the "standing man" is entrancing. And who knew that "Would it help?" could become the catch phrase of the year, if not the decade? Rylance was the dark horse candidate for winning the Supporting Actor Oscar and it's wonderful that he got to take the statute home.

On the face of it, you wonder how such a straightforward story (negotiating a prisoner exchange) could become an entire, enthralling film. The film's success hinges on Spielberg's seemingly limitless skill as a director, Hanks fantastic performance as Donovan, and the little known detail that Donovan turned a simple one-for-one exchange into a two-for-one, seeking the release of a second American held by the East Germans. The story gains complexity as Donovan now must juggle the demands of the Soviets, the East Germans, and even the CIA, all the while remaining true to his own moral compass.

Every time I watch this film I'm captivated by this juggling act, by its attention to small, human details. At first you almost feel that Spielberg is moralizing, with Hanks imploring the Supreme Court that we must remain true to our ideals while fighting our foes. Then you see the horror of the Berlin Wall being built, the families it separates with mechanical indifference, the collapse of civilized norms, the rise of tiny grabs at power, etc. A border guard exerts his authority because Donovan can't speak German, is an American, and doesn't seem to care if he has the right paperwork. A street thug negotiates an honest trade even while robbing Donovan. A lawyer abandons Donovan to local police, just to demonstrate how little power Donovan has over his own fate. The CIA dumps Donovan in a literal dump of a hotel, while insisting they stay at only the best, the only reason for doing so being a bureaucrat wanting to demonstrate his own power over Donovan. On and on, a series of tiny incidents, all working at a common end.

Spielberg treats each of these with the same importance as any of its major scenes. It's his willingness to almost stop the film for these and other moments that makes him a genius. Do other directors do this? Of course, but more often than not they are more concerned with the big scenes, the ones that propel the main story, and never mind the more human moments. Spielberg films revel in these moments, all the way back to Jaws with that tender, wordless exchange between father and son, the son mimicking the father's every move. Perhaps my favorite in Bridge of Spies is at the end, with the wife picking up her exhausted husband's hat, looking at where he's passed out on the bed; it's a moment that, to me, speaks volumes about their relationship.

Spielberg pulled together his familiar team for the film. Janusz Kaminski's cinematography is beautiful and lends a haunting air to several key moments. At other times, it's beautiful in a straight-forward manner. Michael Kahn's editing is clean and crisp; some day he'll bring home the Oscar he earns each time he cuts a Spielberg film.

A notable change was the film's composer. Spielberg regular, John Williams, due to health issues and other work (The Force Awakens) was unavailable. Thomas Newman stepped into the gap, and his Oscar nomination gives you some idea of how well he did. Most of the music is clearly Newman, lush strings and all. One bit sounds as though it comes straight from Newman's score for Wall-E, and there's a moment that, if I'm not paying attention, has me ask, "What film did Williams write this for?" That this moment makes me confuse Newman with Williams tells you how much I enjoy this score. It's also worth noting that Newman also did the music for the aforementioned Shawshank Redemption.

All in all, Bridge of Spies is a marvelous film. It deserved all the recognition is earned; it should have received more. I can't see how Spotlight is a better film, but then again Spotlight was the safe Oscar vote and the Academy, more often than not, opts for safe. I'm still inclined to name Mad Max: Fury Road as my personal favorite for 2015, but time will tell. Despite numerous viewings, neither film has yet to wear out its welcome, and Bridge quietly becomes more and more entrancing.

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