New York attorney James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) is drafted in to provide what can only be described as a cursory defence for alleged Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) whom the establishment want to offer an ostensibly open and fair, but actually only a rather rudimentary, trial. This doesn't sit well with Donovan, and he manages to get the judge to commute the death sentence to one of thirty years. That proves to be visionary because shortly afterwards, US pilot Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is off doing a little spying of his own when he is shot down over East Germany. Donovan is now drafted in by his government to travel to Berlin, without formal status, and see if he can't negotiate a prisoner swap. What now ensues is a true story that wouldn't look out of place in a John le Carré novel. Lots of dogma-driven mistrust, manipulation and a fair smattering of who needs to win the PR battle - especially complicated when the East Germans take a student hostage and he must now try to get both out - a two for one deal! Hanks is on good form delivering a measured and considered effort as the ingenious lawyer with a conscience, and Rylance also performs well, if really too sparingly, as the prisoner who is also a man of principle - though slightly less sure of the nature of his welcome at home should Donovan succeed. The film looks good, is nicely scored by Thomas Newman and we get a genuine sense of just how battered Berlin was as the wall started to go up. Perhaps a little on the lengthy side - but still a solid piece of biopic cinema well worth a watch.
