Bridge of Spies
First screened in October 2015 / Most recently screened in December 2015
Director: Steven Spielberg. Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Austin Stowell, Scott Shepherd, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan, Will Rogers, Dakin Matthews, Sebastian Koch, Mikhail Gorevoy, Jesse Plemons, Peter McRobbie, Burghart Klaußner, Max Mauff, Petra-Maria Cammin, Luce Dreznin, Michael Schenk, Nadja Bobyleva, Domenick Lombardozzi, Stephen Kunken, Jon Curry, John Rue, Eve Hewson, Billy Magnussen, Noah Schnapp, Jillian Lebling, Joshua Harto, Joe Forbrich, Edward James Hyland, Tracy Howe, Laurie Dawn. Screenplay: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen and Matt Charman.

 Twitter Capsule: Shaky companion to Lincoln. Oddly, end feels more nostalgic, foregone, and longer in coming. Kaminski a liability.

Second Capsule: Second, less fatigued tour through Bridge of Spies raised my admiration for it in a couple areas but also my annoyance with it. Still B–/C+.

Third Capsule: I like its refusal of any single tone. Hanks a bigger asset than I first thought. But I rarely feel worried for him, or any of the captives.

VOR: ④  I rated this lower at first, in part because of nostalgia permeating style and theme. But that nostalgia is worth debating, as is much about the film. You ought to test it out.


Photo © 2015 Touchstone Pictures/DreamWorks Productions

Not yet reviewed in full. Grade: C+

Academy Award Nominations and Winners:
Best Picture
★Best Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance
Best Original Screenplay: Matt Charman, Joel Coen, and Ethan Coen
Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Rena DeAngelo and Bernhard Henrich
Best Original Score: Thomas Newman
Best Sound Mixing: Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom, and Drew Kunin

Golden Globe Nominations:
Best Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance

Other Awards:
New York Film Critics Circle: Best Supporting Actor (Rylance)
National Society of Film Critics: Best Supporting Actor (Rylance)
Boston Society of Film Critics: Best Supporting Actor (Rylance)
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