Bridge of Spies

The film has an old-world charm that is cozily ensconced in vividly enumerated, shadily expressive visual dynamics that scores high with it's carefully calibrated tension and crafty cinematic constructs. Donovan is an intelligent hero who does not need the appendage of super-heroic powers. And Tom Hanks just makes it stick!

This is a spy movie for adults, where individuals don't stand for themselves but for larger invisible forces we can't see that exist implicitly in each interaction. This focus on the institution and process shatters any claim of inherent nobility to diplomacy as a profession.

'Bridge Of Spies' is a film which needs the viewers' attention- especially if you are not well versed with history of Cold War. Many things are left for the viewers to understand- the director takes that liberty is assuming that everyone has done their homework well. On several occasions as a viewer one might feel too many characters are being introduced and too many intricacies exist in the plot line. Watch it for the charming Tom Hanks- no character is alien to this actor. He makes it the most endearing – as always.

Certain shots leading to the end also make you want to roll your eyes with the sheer obviousness of it all. However, packed together, Bridge of Spies is a brilliant watch.

Though Ethan and Joel Coen brothers are screenwriters here, along with Matt Charman, this is an extremely Spielbergian film. He's still the most fluent of directors—you could teach a class on scene transitions with the dozen or so examples this film provides.

The sets are stark, effectively conveying the winter chill as Hanks sniffles through his negotiations, keeping warm with doses of whisky and brandy. As far as espionage thrillers go, it's a fine watch, elevated greatly by class acts by Hanks and Rylance.

This film hits all the right notes; in the last 20 minutes, I was already thinking about how many Oscars it would win. Bridge of Spies showcases, I dare say, an America that stood for superior moral values as opposed to the Iron Curtain that clothed much of Eastern Europe and Asia. It is set during the Cold War when a nuclear apocalypse was an impending threat and one mistake — political, diplomatic or even a technical snag in a submarine — could potentially trigger it.