In new historical thriller Bridge Of Spies, Tom Hanks is American Lawyer James B. Donovan; a man whose job it is to defend an arrested Soviet spy played by Mark Rylance.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, before watching Bridge Of Spies, I had anticipated fighting legal dialogue and courtroom dramatics. In truth, there’s a touch of that but not in the traditional sense. Some of my favourite moments of dialogue happened during the negotiation scenes, plus in the conversations between Donovan and his CIA contact.
In terms of the film’s look and feel, at first it took me a few minutes to get used to the noticeable reduction in colour in reference to the cinematography, however, considering the Cold War setting of Spielberg’s story, I soon understood.
Hanks’s Donovan is very much a hero; one that I adored because he’s determined and focused on what he believes to be the right and reasonable thing to do; a man of conscience, if you will. What’s not to love about that?
Forrest Gump (1993), one of my favourite Tom Hanks movies came to mind upon reflection, because though the characters are quite different, Donovan’s gentle disposition and caring nature took me back to what I loved most about Hanks’s portrayal of Gump.
From the lead actors’ well measured performances to the dialogue and story, I enjoyed Bridge Of Spies. One more key highlight for me is the beautiful ending and all it said so perfectly without words.
Watch it because it’s good.
Happy Film Loving,
G
