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Bridge of Spies - film review

Simple, straightforward tale of bravery and integrity in the face of adversity and possible national disgrace, the lead role played by Tom Hanks is a most welcome movie watching experience.   Spielberg in the director's chair with Hanks and Rylance (a British stage actor I had never heard of who also won the Oscar for supporting role) acting out a Coen brothers written screenplay is good stuff.

A story loosely based on some events of the cold war era portrays an insurance lawyer (Hanks) who is asked by the CIA to defend a Russian spy as his government provided counselor against a motivated and air tight case of the prosecution.

Hanks defends him, risking his own life and that of his young family, as prescribed by the US constitution affording the Russian every right to a fair trial and even taking on the judge in private to consider all angles of his arguments.

When found guilty of all charges Hanks continues to persuade the judge to be lenient on the sentencing for the spy, showing amazing foresight to recommend a life sentence instead of an execution which forms the deciding part of the film.

The climax is later woven with subtle grace shown by the entire cast where Hanks has to go to East Berlin to secure the release of an American U2 pilot shot down and held captive by the Russians in an exchange for the Russian spy that the CIA helps plan.

He not only secures his release using the Russian spy but the latter admires Hanks' character and assists him in his small way to also secure the release of another American person held in the GDR under false pretenses.

So in the end Hanks wins 2 for 1 against the CIA's recommendation and brings them home.

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