The Cold War heats up on the big screen in Steven Spielberg's drama Bridge of Spies as the prospect of a prisoner exchange forces America to negotiate with their rivals in the East. Tom Hanks plays lawyer James Donovan, who becomes a hated figure when he is hired to defend Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, played by Mark Rylance, and opts not to simply be a part of a show trial. The tide later turns when Donovan is sent to East Berlin to negotiate swapping Abel for a captured American pilot. The alliance between Hanks and Spielberg has always been good for critical success and their collaboration in Saving Private Ryan led to five gongs in 1999. The combination of this movie power couple with the historical subject matter and a script re-written by the Coen Brothers could parachute Bridge Of Spies right into the awards conversation, especially if a significant campaign is mounted for British thesp Rylance as Best Supporting Actor.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
