Bridge Of Spies reunites frequent collaborators Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks for a powerful but measured Cold War thriller inspired by true events. Insurance lawyer Jim Donovan (Hanks) is recruited to defend Soviet infiltrator Rufold Abel (Mark Rylance, brilliant) in court, with twists unraveling along the way as Jim finds himself dragged into far more serious matters, all of which are expertly employed by screenwriter Matt Charman. Hanks is superb, managing to be both anxious and affable in equal measure, backed into corners with no choice than to cooperate. Humour arises in the most unlikely moments as tension simmers beneath the surface, buoyed by shadowy visuals and an unnerving score, and the stakes ramp up considerably towards the end. The collected approach from Spielberg enables the film to remain pertinent and engaging throughout, never running away from itself, and Bridge Of Spies is as much about the resolve and courage of the human spirit as the entertaining Hollywood thriller it absolutely is.
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