Directed by Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, Lincoln, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark), written by Ethan & Joel Coen (Inside Llewyn Davis, No Country for Old Men, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and starring Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, Cast Away, Saving Private Ryan, The Da Vinci Code), Mark Rylance (The Other Boleyn Girl, The Government Inspector) and Alan Alda (The Aviator, M*A*S*H (tv series), Tower Heist, Crimes and Misdemeanors).
Drama, 141 mins, 12+
James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) is currently a lewyer for an insurance company; previously he had been on the prosecuting team at the Nuremburg War Crimes tribunal. During the Cold War, when Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is arrested in America and accused of spying for Russia, James B. Donovan is chosen by the US authorities (the CIA) to defend the accused spy. After the trial, an American Air Force pilot, a U-2 spy-plane pilot, was arrested in Russia after his plane was shot down. James B. Donovan is again asked to intervene, this time to negotiate the swap of the two accused spies. This brings him to Berlin where his skills are really put to the test.
With the screenplay written by the Coen brothers, the dialogue is sharp and interspersed with quick-witted lines for many of the characters. However, the setting is a serious drama.
While set during the Cold War, this is not a thriller and does not carry the level of suspense associated with films of this period; rather, it focuses on the story of the man, James B. Donovan, and tells the story from his perspective, from the rather bizarre beginnings to the crucial role played in Berlin.
The external locations and interiors are expertly used to create the desired atmosphere, with the period costumes excellent in this regard. The acting is of the highest class; but remember that this is NOT a cold-war thriller, so don't go into the cinema expecting one.
