Better late than never, 'Bridge of Spies' is fantastic

For some reason, when I first saw trailers for Bridge of Spies I felt a little underwhelmed. Although I'm a big history buff -- and love the Cold War era in particular -- it looked like homework. Something I should see, not something I wanted to see.

So I put it off, figured I'd wait to see it on Netflix or something. But then after revisiting Raiders of the Lost Ark and being reminded of what a master filmmaker Steven Spielberg is, I decided to check it out.

Spielberg doesn't make movies as often as he used to and it seems, for the most part, that in his old age he's comfortable making more adult movies that aren't seeking box office supremacy.

That said, Bridge of Spies is an immensely entertaining mainstream historical drama, that despite wearing its liberal intentions on it's sleeve a bit too much, is a lot of fun.

I have no idea how close Spielberg's narrative is to the actual events it's portraying -- the film tells the fascinating story of the noble defense of a captured spy for the Russians, which led to an improbable prisoner exchange with the Soviet Union -- but it's a testament to the movie that I wanted to read more about the story once it was through.

Tom Hanks is invaluable here as the hero. He brings his trademark humor and gravitas to the role of a man who is pretty saintly but never less than riveting. Right now only Denzel Washington and George Clooney have that kind of credibility with audiences, and neither of them could have played this role quite as well. You trust in Hanks, and he is a terrific vessel for navigating this intriguing but complex story.

Tom Hanks in Bridge of Spies

He is supported by the little-known Mark Rylance in an Oscar-baity role as the spy. His dialogue -- the screenplay was co-written by the Coen brothers -- has a lot of biting wit to it, and is disarming. But the performances are really terrific across the board here, as is the cinematography, which is a given in virtually every Spielberg movie at this point.

Not unlike with Lincoln, Spielberg is interested in showcasing American idealism at its finest, and that makes this film, like that one, feel inherently old fashioned, but I didn't mind that. In fact, I slightly preferred it to the inherent cynicism of The Big Short.

I have no idea what kind of shelf life Bridge of Spies will have. It did decent business but was no blockbuster, and other than Rylance, it doesn't appear to be a lock for any big Oscar nominations. But I do think it ranks among some of the stronger efforts of Spielberg's late career, and suggests he still has a valuable voice to contribute to cinema.