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Bridge of Spies Review


What I liked: This was a good movie. I thought that they did a good job capturing the feeling of the beginning of the Cold War. I wasn’t actually around during the Cold War so I might not be qualified to comment on that but there was the sense of intense patriotism on both sides and the start of East Germany trying to become a real power. They also had the construction of the Berlin Wall. I thought that they did a good job of portraying the confusion that instilled. I liked the main character. He was a stubborn persistent lawyer. The whole first part of the movie reminded me about John Adams defending the British soldiers from the Boston Massacre. The overwhelmingly positive message from the film was the positive effect that one principled person can have on history. I also liked that for the most part they movie focused on the history. Yes, I’m sure that there was fabrication and Hollywoodization but it didn’t feel as fictionalized as some of the films that are “inspired by real events.”
What I didn’t: The story was really tight and this squished out character development. They did a good job suggesting lives for some of the characters but most of them like they were standing in to progress the plot. Also I hope that the American student was mostly invented because he made profoundly bad decisions. Also, who only has one copy of their dissertation? Even in typewriter era wouldn’t you at least have a carbon copy?
Who should watch this: This is a good period piece for a quiet evening in. It grabs your attention without making you go to bed anxious afterwards.
Would I watch it again? sure.
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