Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance lead the way here and give superlative performances in this cerebral and powerful Cold War drama. Another masterful movie from director Steven Spielberg, with a most solid screenplay from Matt Charman and the Coen Brothers, Ethan and Joel.
The films all centers around the initial defense of accused Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Rylance) by attorney James B.Donovan (Hanks), which made Donovan a most unpopular man in America, especially when he appealed Abel's conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the conviction by a 5-4 vote.
Meanwhile, in 1960, a U.S. U-2 pilot, Francis Gary Powers was captured by the Soviets, after his spy plane was shot down over Soviet territory. Subsequently, the American State Dept. would ask Donovan to possibly negotiate an exchange of Abel and Powers, since Donovan had been contacted by the Soviets through the East Germans that this might be possible.
Based on true events, there's plenty of intrigue here as Donovan, through intense and difficult negotiations, tries to acquire the release of the two prisoners, along with a third prisoner the American student Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers), being held on "spy" charges by the East Germans. It will all culminate in some amazing and tense scenes on the German Glienicke Bridge.
All in all, I found this to be a first class movie, that despite it's length of 2 hrs. and 21 min., had me absorbed throughout.
The films all centers around the initial defense of accused Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Rylance) by attorney James B.Donovan (Hanks), which made Donovan a most unpopular man in America, especially when he appealed Abel's conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the conviction by a 5-4 vote.
Meanwhile, in 1960, a U.S. U-2 pilot, Francis Gary Powers was captured by the Soviets, after his spy plane was shot down over Soviet territory. Subsequently, the American State Dept. would ask Donovan to possibly negotiate an exchange of Abel and Powers, since Donovan had been contacted by the Soviets through the East Germans that this might be possible.
Based on true events, there's plenty of intrigue here as Donovan, through intense and difficult negotiations, tries to acquire the release of the two prisoners, along with a third prisoner the American student Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers), being held on "spy" charges by the East Germans. It will all culminate in some amazing and tense scenes on the German Glienicke Bridge.
All in all, I found this to be a first class movie, that despite it's length of 2 hrs. and 21 min., had me absorbed throughout.