Synopsis
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan, recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man's freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel, the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.
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Cast
- Tom HanksJames B. Donovan
- Mark RylanceRudolf Abel
- Amy RyanMary Donovan
- Alan AldaThomas Watters Jr.
- Sebastian KochWolfgang Vogel
- Austin StowellFrancis Gary Powers
- Billy MagnussenDoug Forrester
- Michael Simon HallReporter
- Edward James HylandChief Justice Earl Warren
- Stephen KunkenWilliam Tompkins
Recommendations
- 100
The Guardian
Bridge of Spies has a brassy and justified confidence in its own narrative flair. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
A feel-good Cold War melodrama, Bridge of Spies is an absorbing true-life espionage tale very smoothly handled by old pros who know what they're doing. - 80
Variety
While the helmer’s myth-making approach makes for great Capra-esque entertainment, younger auds may find it terribly old-fashioned — and they’d be right to think so, although Spielberg would be the first to admit it was his intention to play things classical. - 80
Time Out
Gifts of civility small and large mark Steven Spielberg's latest film, a deeply satisfying Cold War spy thriller that feels more subdued than usual for the director—even more so than 2012's philosophical Lincoln—but one that shapes up expertly into a John Le Carré–style nail-biter. - 75
IndieWire
While the rousing tale of espionage has plenty of appealingly old-fashioned qualities, there's no doubting Spielberg's ability to devise visually arresting moments that speak to the movie's themes far better than its story. - 75
The Playlist
Bridge Of Spies is one-third courtroom drama and two-thirds Cold War thriller, and while an engaging watch thanks to fine actors and terrific filmmaking, it’s not without its issues. - 72
TheWrap
If you can overlook the three or four endings of Bridge of Spies, each more overdone than the last, there’s a lot to like here. - 70
New York Magazine (Vulture)
It’s Rylance who keeps Bridge of Spies standing. He gives a teeny, witty, fabulously non-emotive performance, every line musical and slightly ironic — the irony being his forthright refusal to deceive in a world founded on lies.
