Montreal Gazette

Bridge of Spies reconnects Spielberg and Hanks

- BILL BROWNSTEIN bbrownstei­n@montrealga­zette.com twitter.com/ billbrowns­tein

BRIDGE OF SPIES ★★★ 1/2 Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda Director: Steven Spielberg Running time: 135 minutes

It’s the height of the Cold War: nukes, spies and Commies hiding under beds in the U.S. The Americans and Russians are foes, eyeing each other cautiously, all the while seemingly poised to strike down each other’s empire.

While it could conceivabl­y sound like this drama is set in the Obama/Putin present, it goes back to the late 1950s: An American lawyer draws the short straw and is conscripte­d to defend a Soviet spy and then attempt to negotiate the release of a captured American U-2 pilot through a prisoner trade.

Stars and stripes fly high here. No question, there is a certain jingoistic edge to this espionage thriller. But, no question, this one will also keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

It’s no accident that the film captivates. The stars are mostly all in alignment. At the helm is Steven Spielberg, who is directing his favourite actor, Tom Hanks the Everyman. (This marks their fourth collaborat­ion, including Spielberg’s Oscar-winning direction of the actor in Saving Private Ryan.) And the film’s screenwrit­ers are the Coen bros, Ethan and Joel, along with Mark Charman.

Nor does it hurt that the film is based on real events. The story unfolds in 1957, when American G-Men uncover a Russian spy in New York City. But not under a bed. KGB agent Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is not exactly in hiding. He can be found daily in plain sight in the city, painting impressive canvases depicting an array of people and street scenes.

Abel, with his disarming British accent, is laconic to say the least. He goes down without a fight and he remains absolutely committed to his cause.

In order to give the impression that justice is being properly served, a group of top New York barristers decide that Abel should have excellent representa­tion — even if a guilty verdict appears to be a slam dunk. And so James Donovan (Hanks) is mandated, without his prior consent, to become Abel’s attorney. Donovan is not amused. For starters, he is an insurance lawyer. Nor will this case likely enhance his career. Plus, his wife (Amy Ryan) rightly fears reprisals from alarmed anti-Commie folk.

As Donovan puts it: “Everyone will hate me, but at least I’ll lose.”

But he is such a decent character that he takes on the assignment. He also finds himself charmed — as will most audiences — by his client Abel, who never seems to break into a sweat, no matter how dire his dilemma.

“You’re not worried?” Donovan repeatedly asks. “Would it help?” a smiling Abel repeatedly answers.

Donovan manages to avoid a death sentence for his client by convincing a judge that Abel could be useful for bartering purposes in the event the Russians get their mitts on an American engaged in a spy mission.

Sure enough, the Russians capture U-2 pilot Gary Francis Powers in a failed espionage caper a few years later. And the CIA engages Donovan in an unofficial capacity to try to work out a trade deal in the newly walled Berlin.

Needless to say, our insurance lawyer had never bargained on being a middle man between opposing spy agencies — all the more so since he is left to his own devices and is given no particular protection.

Some of the scenes in East Berlin take on a near-comic quality. We’re talking operatives from the school of Boris Badenov (of Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoonfam­e). Some of the CIA types are not much more than clichés, either.

Note to Spielberg: We get that this is set during the Cold War and that Berlin can be a very cold place in the winter. But it’s really not necessary that all the key players have the sniffles to emphasize this “cold” point.

Also, there is no need to resort to the old and ludicrous “duck and cover” scene of American schoolchil­dren — including Donovan’s fearful young son (ex-Montrealer Noah Schnapp) — learning how to protect themselves in the event of a Soviet nuclear attack.

No matter, because at the heart of this chilly drama is another winning and credible performanc­e from Hanks, one which keeps proceeding­s from going over the top.

Yet even Tom Terrific’s work takes a back seat to that of Rylance, the relatively unknown, award-winning British stage actor. Talk about resolve. Talk about understate­d. The man never cracks. Casting directors as well as spy agencies would do well to sign him up in a hurry.

 ?? DREAMWORKS PICTURES ?? James Donovan (Tom Hanks), an insurance lawyer, reluctantl­y agrees to defend KGB agent Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), centre.
DREAMWORKS PICTURES James Donovan (Tom Hanks), an insurance lawyer, reluctantl­y agrees to defend KGB agent Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), centre.
 ?? JAAP BUITENDIJK/DREAMWORKS PICTURES/FOX 2000 PICTURES ?? Mark Rylance never seems to break into a sweat, no matter how dire his dilemma.
JAAP BUITENDIJK/DREAMWORKS PICTURES/FOX 2000 PICTURES Mark Rylance never seems to break into a sweat, no matter how dire his dilemma.
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