Bridge of Spies - B

Rated PG-13, 135 minutes

If you go into the new drama "Bridge of Spies" from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks expecting the bravura and intensity of their previous efforts such as "Saving Private Ryan" and "Catch Me If You Can" you might be disappointed, given that it's not really an action film but tense cat-and-mouse spy drama. Based on a true story, it's also a tad long and a little dry in places, but held together by it's atmosphere and sturdy performances. American attorney James Donovan (Hanks) is tasked with negotiating the release of a U-2 spy plane pilot who was shot down over Russia at the height of the Cold War, and exchanging him for a imprisoned Russian spy (Mark Rylance) being held in the U.S. Directed by Spielberg and co-written by Joel and Ethan Coen and Matt Charman, the talky but handsomely-made "Bridge of Spies" is slow, character-driven and worthwhile in the end, though it clearly lacks the gravitas and overall excitement of "Saving Private Ryan." Hanks, in Jimmy Stewart "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" bleeding heart form, grounds the film well, playing the real Donovan (of whom he bears no resemblance to at all) with his usual casual warmth and charm, though the film's most memorable turn comes from multiple Tony-award winning actor Mark Rylance, terrific as the Russian spy whose nonchalance and humor underscore his considerable confidence ("Should I be?" is his repeated, go-to response when asked if he's concerned or worried about his situation). The sluggish first act picks up to a more engaging second and third act, though Spielberg draws the conclusion out much too long, in a climax that was surely not as dramatic in real life as made out to be here; in addition, as for the rest of the large cast, Amy Ryan ("Gone Baby Gone"), as Donovan's concerned wife, and Alan Alda, as Donovan's colleague, are both considerably underused. Unsurprising for a Spielberg film, the production values are hardly shabby, though, with a solid, uplifting score from Thomas Newman and handsome photography, especially in the later Berlin scenes, from Spielberg's go-to cinematographer, Oscar-winner Janusz Kaminski, that keeps things engaging. Though not the best of the Spielberg-Hanks collaborations, "Bridge of Spies" is a satisfying, upstanding film, highlighted by an Oscar-worthy turn from acclaimed stage actor Rylance, whose engaging spy is at the center of the movie.