Well, hello there, kind folks. If you’re visiting this blog of mine, I presume that you have a certain interest in the cinema. As for me, even since my early childhood, I have had a deep love of everything related to movies and television. As far as I can remember, I have been more at ease in front of a screen than in the yard, outside, playing. It is a great way to travel, though other people’s stories, without having to foot any kind of steep bill. Over the years, I feel that movie-watching has even fuelled my own creativity.

All that being said, I welcome you in my Cinephile’s Nest. I hope you enjoy it here, feel free to come back at any time. Here you will find reviews of current movies and older ones. TV shows also. Some classics that have remained some of my favourites, some that have disappointed me. I will use a very basic star (*) system to grade them from 1 to 5 (5 being sliced bread level). Remember, these are just my tastes. I will try to explain in each review what I liked about these particular movies, without giving spoilers.

Il y aura aussi des critiques en français pour les films francophones, car j'aime également le cinéma dans ma langue maternelle. Avant d'apprendre l'anglais, plus jeune, je louais des tonnes de films traduits en français, surtout ceux de Bud Spencer et Terrence Hill. Ma mère a eu le choc de sa vie lorsqu'un jour, dans la boîte d'un de ces films, Deep Throat avait malencontreusement inséré. Une expérience formatrice pour le jeune cinéphile que je suis.

Bienvenue à tous, amusez-vous bien.

I welcome you all here, enjoy yourself.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Genre: Historical / Drama
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan
Running time: 141 minutes



This film is based on the 1960 U-2 incident. In the midst of the Cold War, lawyer James B. Donovan (Hanks) is asked to handle the defense of Rudolph Abel, a suspected Russian spy arrested in the US. The authorities want to give the impression that the accused is going to get a fair trial in the States, but they are clearly intent on railroading him. Despite the pressures and hatred he gets in his home country for doing it, Donovan takes his job seriously and manages to at the very least save Abel from the death penalty. When Francis Gary Powers, an American pilot on a spying mission, gets shot down and arrested in the Soviet Union, the American lawyer is then sent to negotiate his release in exchange for the imprisoned Russian spy.

What could have been a very dark and dry movie was made so much more pleasant by the use of small doses of humor throughout the film. The dialogue was full of those little humorous moments that would make you smile and laugh. Rudolph Abel countering the questions of why he’s not more nervous in light of the charges against him with the words “Would it help?” made me chuckle each time.

Tom Hanks’ dedication to movie roles needs to be commended. Once again, in Bridge of Spies, he delves right into his character and makes you care for that man who will do his job to the best of his ability no matter the pressures around him. All the other actors and actresses also carry their respective roles with great talent. No false note here.

Bridge of Spies gets a little sentimental towards the end. Once the music starts in that final scene, you can clearly envision a piano filled with heartstrings, in a ploy to make you cry. Nonetheless, this is a solid film about a major part of history that has not been overexploited in cinema. The story is compelling and told in a very efficient manner, keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats and leaving them satisfied in the end.
Rating: ««««
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