I’m young enough that I cannot remember a time when director Steven Spielberg’s name was not synonymous with cinematic excellence at the highest echelon. I am also of the age that I have never been able to experience the kind of film that earned him such a reputation in any manner other than through the lens of retrospection.
That is, until “Bridge of Spies” came along, the first Spielberg effort since 2005’s “Munich” that serves as an adequate calling card for a generation-defining artist. Making the sort of mid-range budget ($40 million) adult drama that have all but gone the way of the dinosaur, he issues a strong reminder that his formidable skills should not be undervalued or underestimated.
It’s fitting, then, that this film should star Tom Hanks, another already minted national treasure whose cultural footprint often dwarfs the power of his work. While both director and actor could easily coast on their merits, neither does in “Bridge of Spies.” The film operates at an impeccably high level of craft and precision because Hanks and Spielberg flex their muscles so potently. Calling it a return to form feels wrong since neither has precipitously declined, but this is clearly them at peak performance.
Hanks plays William Donovan, an idealistic Brooklyn lawyer given the thankless task of providing legal counsel in a sham trial meant as a PR play. His client is Mark Rylance’s Rudolf Abel, a suspected Soviet spy captured at the peak of Cold War mania. Donovan’s task recalls the central case in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and it’s a good thing that Hanks can channel Atticus Finch (pre-racism) so deftly.
Only a few actors could pull off this unironic, unashamed portrait of the nobility all Americans like to believe is woven into our national fabric. Hanks, with his steady hand and calm resolve, makes a better case for the Constitution’s guiding light than anyone currently in public office. In fact, many of them could learn a thing or two from Donovan regarding Edward Snowden, the Middle East, and immigration.
Marshall and the Movies 
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