Bridge of Spies

Based on a true story. Inspired by true events. It seems that everything these days is a reimagining of historical events. Isn’t every piece of writing inspired by true events to some degree? Maybe not The Avengers, but you know what I mean. This time of year, we are bombarded with biopics and slightly embellished stories of valor and heroism. Some stories are truly worth the yarn spun, and others simply aren’t. “Bridge of Spies” falls in line with the latter.

1957, Brooklyn. As the Cold War is escalating, family man insurance lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is tapped by the US Government to defend a Soviet spy in court, and finds himself entangled with the CIA in East Berlin negotiating with the Soviets and Germans in a game of cloak and mouse and cat and dagger. You know what I mean.

Directed by Steven Spielberg should be enough of a reason to see this film. Throw in written by the Coen brothers and starring Tom Hanks, and it should have been a home run. Unfortunately, the film relies too heavily on Atticus Finch syndrome (trademark pending) and patriotism. The story is unremarkable and even less suspenseful that it certainly should be, and there are only so many times we can be expected to watch a good man defying the odds and risking his reputation and safety to simply do the right thing. Sorry Steven. With a variety of projects on his plate (“Ready Player One” and “The Circle” should be exceptional fun) he has ample opportunity to move on. After all, he’s Steven freaking Spielberg.

Tom Hanks breezes through this performance with his fluttering eyelids and boyish grin interspersed between important speeches. I still think his best performances didn’t earn him Oscars (“Captain Phillips”, “Saving Private Ryan”, “Road to Perdition”) and this one will go down with a potential nomination, but shouldn’t secure any hardware. Of course, some people are raving, but his portrayal of James Donovan is less Gregory Peck and more… well-aged Tom Hanks on autopilot.

The Coen Brothers are a perennial favorite of mine, and they have turned their attention toward screenwriting in lieu of directing. They tend to alternate between quirky comedies and Oscar bait, and their upcoming “Hail Caesar” will certainly be quirky. Their fatal flaw in writing this story lies in their inability to capture the suspense and tension between the US and USSR. Come on guys, we are on the brink of Armageddon and you choose this story to be about moral character? Amp up the suspense a bit, even if it’s just for one scene. There was none to be found. Opportunities aplenty, but missed at every turn. I will commend them on weaving a complex game of espionage and elucidating things nicely at the end for the mainstream audience. Don’t worry, you don’t need a history lesson before watching the film. This marks two non-fiction screenplay bombs in a row for them (remember last year’s “Unbroken”?)

Mark Ryland is the lone performance that stands out, and it might win him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. A longtime stage thespian, he plays the Soviet, Rudolph Abel with a subtlety worthy of mention. Few words spoken, but he still says so much through his expressionless façade. He can be seen re-teaming with Spielberg in the upcoming “BFG”.

The Cold War was a scary time. Or so I’ve heard. There are admirable men and women whose actions prevented us (America) from facing catastrophe and their stories are things of legend worthy of public celebration. I just wish this film was a bit more intense.

“Bridge of Spies” isn’t what I would consider a bad movie by any means, it is just disappointing, long, and boring. Don’t expect anything beyond average. 6/10.

The Martian

There is something inspiring about seeing the words “Ridley Scott” over a backdrop of stars. He is unquestionably the master of the genre (Alien, Blade Runner, Prometheus), and for a change, he shirks aliens and dystopian futures for something a bit more realistic and a bit more heartwarming; Robinson Crusoe in space. This is a fantastic film based on a brilliant book.

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, “The Martian” finds astronaut Mark Watney stranded and alone on Mars after a storm scrubs his crew’s mission and they blast off, thinking him dead. A botanist and mechanical engineer by trade, he finds himself needing to solve problem after problem with only science, humor, and perseverance to keep him going. The clock is ticking as his basic needs necessitate creative feats of ingenuity on his part, while the entire human race roots for him back home.

There are two major deviations from the novel; one that was a savvy move by the screenwriter that I totally respect, and one that didn’t sit well with me but is entirely understandable from the cinematic angle. Drew Goddard (“World War Z”, “Cabin in the Woods”, “Cloverfield”) is one of the hottest screenwriters around and his upcoming “Robopocalypse” (Steven Spielberg) and “Sinister Six” (Marvel super villains) certainly won’t disappoint either. Of course, his source material on this one was pretty much written for a film. Author Andy Weir is a self-proclaimed science geek, and his novel was lauded for its feasibility, so there really wasn’t much that needed to change in the first place.

Matt Damon does his best Tom Hanks from “Castaway” impression, but the weight loss is clearly done with special effects in lieu of a six month filming hiatus. Soliloquies, video diaries, and a wry wit brings the much needed levity to the otherwise dire and tenuous situation of surviving indefinitely, which is amplified by an ominous soundtrack (when the 70’s pop music isn’t playing). A performance devoid of live character interactions is a difficult challenge, and the gravity of the situation is bleak if not completely hopeless, yet Damon conveys the emotion adeptly.

The rest of the cast is astutely inserted to raise the stakes and change perspective, so we truly feel the weight of the rescue effort, even in scenes of Mark Watney isolation on a beautiful cinematic landscape. Jeff Daniels plays the terse NASA administrator with nary a smile or smirk the entire film, and it anchors the pragmatic angle perfectly. Kristin Wiig is the potty-mouthed public relations director, Annie Montrose, who I was honestly expecting a more lewd and crass performance by based on her character in the novel. Chiwetel Ejiofor is Vincent Kapoor, the mission controller who is the emotional center of the Earth setting, and Donald Glover, Benedict Wong, and Mackenzie Davis are the lead specialists working around the clock to make everything come together just right. The crewmembers on the ship back to Earth in the third setting are Jessica Chastain, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, and Aksel Hennie, and their performances are honestly just filler.

The marketing effort is brilliant for this film. Permeating social media and creating viral videos is a true indication that film as a whole is moving into a more progressive media direction. It might be a sign of things to come, or it might just be Ridley Scott’s genius at play.

Triumph of resolve and the human condition is what makes “The Martian” work. Rallying behind a man at impossible odds and doing anything fathomable to survive is really what being human is at its core, isn’t it? The climax had some Michael Bay or Roland Emmerich flair, but what do you expect from what is essentially an Oscar-caliber blockbuster (a rarity in cinema).

This immediately tops my list of best films of the year, but it is just the first week of October, so although it will decimate the box office for the next few weeks, I don’t see it winning any coveted gold statues. Of course, that doesn’t take away anything from the sheer brilliance and enjoyment factor. At a lengthy 2 hours and 20 minutes, it’s a bit drawn out, but it’s certainly worth it in the end. This is a different kind of science fiction, a pleasant surprise from the master of the genre, and it is well worth the price of admission. 9/10.

The Intern

Experience never gets old, but formulaic dramedies do. Nancy Meyers (Father of the Bride, Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday), one of the most darling writer/directors of unorthodox (old people) romantic comedies today, draws from so many stereotypes that it’s difficult to keep up at times. Of course, that’s the draw, isn’t it? Stereotypes are transparent and relatable. She creates two main characters with polar opposite personalities, yet they somehow need each other and learn valuable life lessons in the process. It’s cathartic therapy for the cinematic mind.

Seventy year old Ben Whitaker (Robert De Niro) finds himself bored with retirement, so he applies for an internship at About the Fit, an Internet retailer run by the onerous and often intolerable Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway). Just ask her staff of over two hundred, they are all frightened by her tactics. To call her a fickle micro-manager would be an understatement. Ben begins to ingratiate himself to the company, particularly Jules, and a sort of father figure relationship blossoms. Meanwhile, the cliché world of an ultra-successful Internet Start-up Company swirls around Jules and leads us to a crossroads of old school versus progressive, and could you guess which one will win?

Finding itself somewhere between a lowbrow romantic comedy and “As Good as it Gets”, “The Intern” never gains traction in any particular area of the genre. Or any genre for that matter. To me it simply maintained status quo from start to finish. A drama trying to be funny, relying on two outstanding actors to keep it alive.

Robert De Niro does a fantastic job in a truly understated role as Ben. I was hoping for some depth to his character (Jack Nicholson would have been nice) but it never materialized. There was nothing wrong with his performance, but he just sort of coasted through the whole film with his two looks; “I am concerned” and “I understand, I’m older and wiser than you, but I don’t want to make you feel badly”. There was even a moment of opportunity for a big breakout speech that could have made the film (two actually), but it was truncated by the supposedly more desirable bonding scenes that are a signet of any unlikely pairing film. I was rooting for De Niro to knock this one out of the park, but he safely opted for a base hit instead. Ben is a severely likable man, almost too likable to be taken seriously. A great character needs a flaw, and there just isn’t one to endear or connect him to the audience. It’s a lost opportunity, and I blame Nancy Meyers, not Bobby D.

Anne Hathaway is the real centerpiece of the film. Her acting leaves nothing to be desired, but the character is just too predictable. Strong and vulnerable, vicious and kind, brazen and self-conscious. You get the point. Hathaway has the look of a younger Julia Roberts, a perfect actress for romantic comedies in today’s day and age, but she just hasn’t found the right material yet.
Supporting players Anders Holm and Adam Devine made me feel like I was watching an episode of “Workaholics” and I never really bought Holm’s character as Hathaway’s husband in the least. That was an area that could have used some serious second guessing by the casting director, despite how much I typically like Holm and find his humor entertaining.

Essentially, this is what I would call a nice try. Good enough for low expectations, with nothing surprising or fresh. The actors are top notch, but the story leaves you wanting a bit more. That said, this is a romantic comedy at its core, but it’s missing the romance. Therefore, it is missing a crucial ingredient in what could have made it a successful film. 6/10.