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- Thread starter Nittany Ned2
- Start date
I haven't heard much yet but just based on Hanks and Spielberg doing it, I was interested. The trailers looked good, I do plan to see it at some point.
The film takes some liberties, but the core of the story is 100% accurate. The lawyer, James Donovan, did take the initial case of Rudolf Abel, and did negotiate the swap of Abel for U2 pilot Gary Powers and US graduate student Frederic Pryor. Donovan wrote a book in 1964 about the saga, titled Strangers on a Bridge; The Case of Colonel Abel and Francis Gary Powers.
The US graduate student that was swapped, Frederic Pryor, is still alive. He had a long career as an economics professor, mostly at Swarthmore College, and he still has some role at Swarthmore.
I thought the movie was excellent, and posted as much a day or two after it came out. It's a little slow moving at times, but it does a great job of capturing the paranoia of the era, and how much of a day-to-day battler there was between the US and Russia, as well as capturing the feelings of a handful of people, like the aforementioned, that were caught up in the Cold War.
There are a number of excellent films slated to be released in the next 2 months, but Bridge of Spies should be a contender for a number of awards.
The US graduate student that was swapped, Frederic Pryor, is still alive. He had a long career as an economics professor, mostly at Swarthmore College, and he still has some role at Swarthmore.
I thought the movie was excellent, and posted as much a day or two after it came out. It's a little slow moving at times, but it does a great job of capturing the paranoia of the era, and how much of a day-to-day battler there was between the US and Russia, as well as capturing the feelings of a handful of people, like the aforementioned, that were caught up in the Cold War.
There are a number of excellent films slated to be released in the next 2 months, but Bridge of Spies should be a contender for a number of awards.
Very good though not great movie, better than anything else I have seen recently.
Supposedly pretty accurate as these things go.
Maybe a touch too much Spielberg Hollywoodness, not quite enough Coen brothers black humor to my taste.
At 2:15, seemed padded and dragged toward end.
I thought Mark Rylance stole the show as Russian spy Abel, low-key, played well off Hanks.
Really was a good movie. Highlighted some of the times that showed the worst in America (the judge basically nixing the constitution and blind justice due to communism fears in the 40s/50s/60s), but also highlighted what makes American's unique (the bridge scene with the differing embraces).
The GF and I saw it up at the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill. Really cool little theater that I always shunned in favor of the Loews/AMC/Cinemarks.
The GF and I saw it up at the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill. Really cool little theater that I always shunned in favor of the Loews/AMC/Cinemarks.
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Good movie and mostly accurate historically. Definitely worth the price of admission but pales in comparison to Spielberg's best work, Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List, IMO.
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To my understanding, Tom is correct: the core is 100% accurate. I very much like the character of Donovan as it is portrayed: it is the epitome of the good lawyer and the dedicated public servant.
On a personal note, I especially enjoyed the cameo by my cousin-by-marriage Laurie Dawn. She is the woman in the bus who gives Hanks the stink eye upon recognizing him by his picture in that morning's New York Times; she appears again at the very end, again on the bus, with an entirely predictable and wholly charming change-of-heart smile. Laurie is a lovely person and I know that this movie is a great personal triumph for her; she's worked very hard at her craft and her husband, my cousin, and she have managed to make a decent living at this craft they love. It's very nice.
The book, "Bridge of Spies" by Giles Whittel is currently on sale for $1.99 on various eBook platforms. While the movie is based on Donovan's own book "Strangers on a Bridge" this book does cover the same events.
http://www.bookbub.com/books/bridge-of-spies-by-giles-whittell-2015-05-09
Bookbub is a free notification service for eBook bargains from various publishers. However, you should be able to find the same deal from your Kobo, Amazon, B&N, Apple & Google stores.
http://www.bookbub.com/books/bridge-of-spies-by-giles-whittell-2015-05-09
Bookbub is a free notification service for eBook bargains from various publishers. However, you should be able to find the same deal from your Kobo, Amazon, B&N, Apple & Google stores.
