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Bridge of Spies
Hello MoFo’s! It is once again time for At the Theater with The Gunslinger45. Sadly my friends I have not been able to do many reviews as I used to. Hell I am not on as often as I used to. This is a combo of the start of the career of my dreams, a new relationship, and still making time to do errands like a normal adult; thus leading to not being able to get out to the movies as often. But I do enjoy writing these reviews and I do want to try and keep doing them. Plus it is nice to write something other than the fact based reports I do every day. Especially since some of the reports I have written have been VERY unpleasant to write. So this past weekend the girlfriend and I decided to go out for a movie. My girlfriend has a fascination with all things Russian. She is a veteran of the US Army like I am; she used to work in Military Intelligence, and the Army taught her the Russian language. She even has many a book series (like Harry Potter) in Russian. So because of this, naturally she wanted to see this movie. And I wanted to see this flick since it is a Spielberg movie. And as you know Spielberg is one of my all time favorite directors. Now when I was young, Spielberg was the filmmaker whose name I learned first; a name that became the embodiment of good movies. Spielberg was also the director who made film my favorite story telling medium. I have been a fan of his for almost as long as I can remember. So when he makes a new film I usually have to see it. The key word is usually. Admittedly the man who could do no wrong at the summer box office has had quality issues with his blockbuster fare for quite a while. Starting with The Lost World, his blockbuster movies took a serious drop in quality. The Lost Work sucked, Minority Report was boring, I did not even bother to see War of the Worlds, and if anyone even acknowledges a 4th Indiana Jones movie I will punch someone square in the dick. Now if you see Spielberg’s name attached to a summer movie it is as an Executive Producer instead. But Spielberg is no one trick pony. The man has been able to create excellent dramatic works beyond the action likes of say Raider of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park. Hell he won an Oscar for Schindler’s List. And as his blockbusters have waned, his serious works have become more frequent. Amistad, Saving Private Ryan, Munich, Lincoln, and now Bridge of Spies. And much like Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg brings in a big dramatic actor named Tom Hanks. But does this pairing bear good fruit like before? The short answer? Yes. The long answer? Well throw back a shot of vodka and sit back as we examine Bridge of Spies.
We begin this movie in Brooklyn New York, where foreign born Rudolf Abel was arrested for being a Russian spy. His timing could not have been worse either as he was also caught after the Rosenberg’s were executed for giving atomic secrets to the Russians. So naturally the country is crying off with his head. But because we live in a society ruled by law, the man is still entitled to a competent defense. Enter James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks). Donovan is a member of the New York Bar and an insurance lawyer who is given the unfortunate task to defend Rudolf. And overnight he becomes one of the more unpopular members of 1950’s society. Donovan can’t get Rudolf acquitted (due to lots and lots of evidence) but he does keep Rudolf off death row. And this is fortunate since at the same time Rudolf is in prison, Air Force pilot Francis Gary Powers has his U2 spy plane shot down over Soviet soil. The already emotionally and physically exhausted Donovan is now given a new task by the CIA. To negotiate a prisoner swap, one spy for another. But even that becomes more complicated when an American college student in Berlin named Frederick Pryor is detained by the East German government. Now Donovan’s situation is even more complicated. Does he negotiate a swap for the pilot which is a high priority asset and condemn the student to a life of imprisonment at the hands of German communists? Or does he go against the CIA’s wishes and make a move to get the innocent Pryor out?
This film is excellent. Not only is it helmed by one of the best directors ever, it stars a legendary actor who has won multiple Oscars, and was co written by the Coen Brothers. This film is packed to the gills with talent on all fronts of the film-making process. But the film is much more than just another Hanks vehicle. The film has Hank’s character Donovan as an ordinary guy who is trust into a very extra ordinary situation. He is forced into a situation where he is has to make some very hard and sometimes even unpopular choices. But Donovan is a man of great principle. And he is willing to fight for those ideals no matter the cost. In the first half of the film we deal with the trial and defense of Rudolf Abel. As an attorney he is tasked to fight for his client no matter what. And despite the overwhelming evidence of the case, he still does what he can to defend his client. It reminded me a lot of when John Adams defended British soldiers involved with The Boston Massacre. One man defending people just about everyone else wants to see hanged. And while you can’t really condemn those calling for Rudolph’s conviction (he was a spy after all) you can condemn certain people who go too far in trying to hurt Donovan and his family in the process.
The second half of the film takes Donovan to Berlin where he tries to secure the release of the two prisoners. The CIA wants Powers out ASAP and they feel they can get Pryor out another time. As such they pressure Donovan to negotiate for a deal that can get the Powers out. But Hanks is also a big believer in an ideal I connect very closely too; the ideal of leaving no man behind. Anyone who has spent any time in the service knows about this ideal. In the Army it was part of the Soldier’s Creed known as the Warrior’s Ethos. And we were forced to say it over and over so we would never forget it.
“I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.”
Donovan, who served in World War II in the Navy, is familiar with this concept. And because of this he must battle the pressure to do what is best for his country and clearly in her best interest for what is right. To top if, he must also battle wits with representatives from the East German government and the Russians. Once again putting an ordinary man in a most extra ordinary situation, only this time he is far from home.
Throughout the film Donovan is thrust into situations where he must make tough choices. Many of them are unpopular. And that all ties in to the central message of the movie: doing the right thing is tough to do. In trying to live a life where you try to do good and live up to the ideals you cherish, you will be met at all sides by those who wish to see you compromise those values. But ultimately you must decide to make a choice that you feel is right and can live with yourself afterwards. And people will hate you for your choices. And it is especially hard in this time of social media and 24 hour news where there is always someone trying to be outraged at something. But at the end of the film we see the ultimate payoff of trying to do the right thing. It is a heartwarming scene that one expects from a Spielberg film, and it fits the flick perfectly.
I really enjoyed this movie. You have one of the most charming actors in a Cold War drama directed by one of my most favorite directors. Naturally I was going to love this movie. And as far as how it compares to the other movies I have seen this year I have liked it more than certain other big time films I saw this year. I liked it more than Sicario, Ex Machina, Inside Out, and even both Marvel movies. But Mad Max: Fury Road remains my favorite film of the year. But coming in as my current second favorite film of the year ain’t bad. You did good Spielberg. You did good.
Bridge of Spies
Hello MoFo’s! It is once again time for At the Theater with The Gunslinger45. Sadly my friends I have not been able to do many reviews as I used to. Hell I am not on as often as I used to. This is a combo of the start of the career of my dreams, a new relationship, and still making time to do errands like a normal adult; thus leading to not being able to get out to the movies as often. But I do enjoy writing these reviews and I do want to try and keep doing them. Plus it is nice to write something other than the fact based reports I do every day. Especially since some of the reports I have written have been VERY unpleasant to write. So this past weekend the girlfriend and I decided to go out for a movie. My girlfriend has a fascination with all things Russian. She is a veteran of the US Army like I am; she used to work in Military Intelligence, and the Army taught her the Russian language. She even has many a book series (like Harry Potter) in Russian. So because of this, naturally she wanted to see this movie. And I wanted to see this flick since it is a Spielberg movie. And as you know Spielberg is one of my all time favorite directors. Now when I was young, Spielberg was the filmmaker whose name I learned first; a name that became the embodiment of good movies. Spielberg was also the director who made film my favorite story telling medium. I have been a fan of his for almost as long as I can remember. So when he makes a new film I usually have to see it. The key word is usually. Admittedly the man who could do no wrong at the summer box office has had quality issues with his blockbuster fare for quite a while. Starting with The Lost World, his blockbuster movies took a serious drop in quality. The Lost Work sucked, Minority Report was boring, I did not even bother to see War of the Worlds, and if anyone even acknowledges a 4th Indiana Jones movie I will punch someone square in the dick. Now if you see Spielberg’s name attached to a summer movie it is as an Executive Producer instead. But Spielberg is no one trick pony. The man has been able to create excellent dramatic works beyond the action likes of say Raider of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park. Hell he won an Oscar for Schindler’s List. And as his blockbusters have waned, his serious works have become more frequent. Amistad, Saving Private Ryan, Munich, Lincoln, and now Bridge of Spies. And much like Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg brings in a big dramatic actor named Tom Hanks. But does this pairing bear good fruit like before? The short answer? Yes. The long answer? Well throw back a shot of vodka and sit back as we examine Bridge of Spies.
We begin this movie in Brooklyn New York, where foreign born Rudolf Abel was arrested for being a Russian spy. His timing could not have been worse either as he was also caught after the Rosenberg’s were executed for giving atomic secrets to the Russians. So naturally the country is crying off with his head. But because we live in a society ruled by law, the man is still entitled to a competent defense. Enter James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks). Donovan is a member of the New York Bar and an insurance lawyer who is given the unfortunate task to defend Rudolf. And overnight he becomes one of the more unpopular members of 1950’s society. Donovan can’t get Rudolf acquitted (due to lots and lots of evidence) but he does keep Rudolf off death row. And this is fortunate since at the same time Rudolf is in prison, Air Force pilot Francis Gary Powers has his U2 spy plane shot down over Soviet soil. The already emotionally and physically exhausted Donovan is now given a new task by the CIA. To negotiate a prisoner swap, one spy for another. But even that becomes more complicated when an American college student in Berlin named Frederick Pryor is detained by the East German government. Now Donovan’s situation is even more complicated. Does he negotiate a swap for the pilot which is a high priority asset and condemn the student to a life of imprisonment at the hands of German communists? Or does he go against the CIA’s wishes and make a move to get the innocent Pryor out?
This film is excellent. Not only is it helmed by one of the best directors ever, it stars a legendary actor who has won multiple Oscars, and was co written by the Coen Brothers. This film is packed to the gills with talent on all fronts of the film-making process. But the film is much more than just another Hanks vehicle. The film has Hank’s character Donovan as an ordinary guy who is trust into a very extra ordinary situation. He is forced into a situation where he is has to make some very hard and sometimes even unpopular choices. But Donovan is a man of great principle. And he is willing to fight for those ideals no matter the cost. In the first half of the film we deal with the trial and defense of Rudolf Abel. As an attorney he is tasked to fight for his client no matter what. And despite the overwhelming evidence of the case, he still does what he can to defend his client. It reminded me a lot of when John Adams defended British soldiers involved with The Boston Massacre. One man defending people just about everyone else wants to see hanged. And while you can’t really condemn those calling for Rudolph’s conviction (he was a spy after all) you can condemn certain people who go too far in trying to hurt Donovan and his family in the process.
The second half of the film takes Donovan to Berlin where he tries to secure the release of the two prisoners. The CIA wants Powers out ASAP and they feel they can get Pryor out another time. As such they pressure Donovan to negotiate for a deal that can get the Powers out. But Hanks is also a big believer in an ideal I connect very closely too; the ideal of leaving no man behind. Anyone who has spent any time in the service knows about this ideal. In the Army it was part of the Soldier’s Creed known as the Warrior’s Ethos. And we were forced to say it over and over so we would never forget it.
“I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.”
Donovan, who served in World War II in the Navy, is familiar with this concept. And because of this he must battle the pressure to do what is best for his country and clearly in her best interest for what is right. To top if, he must also battle wits with representatives from the East German government and the Russians. Once again putting an ordinary man in a most extra ordinary situation, only this time he is far from home.
Throughout the film Donovan is thrust into situations where he must make tough choices. Many of them are unpopular. And that all ties in to the central message of the movie: doing the right thing is tough to do. In trying to live a life where you try to do good and live up to the ideals you cherish, you will be met at all sides by those who wish to see you compromise those values. But ultimately you must decide to make a choice that you feel is right and can live with yourself afterwards. And people will hate you for your choices. And it is especially hard in this time of social media and 24 hour news where there is always someone trying to be outraged at something. But at the end of the film we see the ultimate payoff of trying to do the right thing. It is a heartwarming scene that one expects from a Spielberg film, and it fits the flick perfectly.
I really enjoyed this movie. You have one of the most charming actors in a Cold War drama directed by one of my most favorite directors. Naturally I was going to love this movie. And as far as how it compares to the other movies I have seen this year I have liked it more than certain other big time films I saw this year. I liked it more than Sicario, Ex Machina, Inside Out, and even both Marvel movies. But Mad Max: Fury Road remains my favorite film of the year. But coming in as my current second favorite film of the year ain’t bad. You did good Spielberg. You did good.