Screen
Bridging that gap Reviewed by Erin Shelley
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negotiate the exchange of Powers for Abel. ix Tom Hanks and director Steven SpielThe script by Matt Charman and Ethan berg with a fascinating plot about Cold and Joel Cohen smartly sets the stage of Cold War activities, and you have Bridge of War politics, with fear of nuclear weapons Spies, a film about a man determined to affecting everyone, and the willingdo what is right, even if it is dangerness to forego justice as part of ous. This makes for an entertainnational security. The story is BRIDGE ing and intelligent film that is still pertinent, especially with based on a true story. OF SPIES today’s mood of security at all Hanks is the perfect actor Directed by costs. The second half of the to play the man of principle, Steven Spielberg film takes Donovan to Germany, lawyer James Donovan, who Rated PG-13 where a wall has just been built is designated to defend a HARKINS THEATRES to divide East and West Berlin. captured Soviet spy. Donovan’s Spielberg knows how to belief in the Constitution drives create exciting scenes, and even in his need to give Rudolf Abel (Mark a movie mainly about negotiations, he Rylance) the best defense possible, even provides several, including the destruction of at the risk of his reputation and the safety Powers’ U-2 and the start of building the Berlin of his family. Meanwhile, pilot Gary Powers Wall. This may not top the list of great Spielis recruited to fly U-2s, the newest American berg films, but it has enough great qualities to spy plane. When Powers is shot down over be at the top end of his best-film list. Soviet Russia, Donovan is called upon to help
A-
Hanks delivers another excellent performance and is assisted by Rylance (Wolf Hall, 2015). Rylance gives an understated and sometimes humorous performance as the spy Abel. The two work well together. The rest of the cast, including Amy Ryan as Donovan’s wife and Alan Alda as Donovan’s boss,
Playing catch-up with the audience
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ast week, an otherwise astute film reviewer for Flag Live wrote of director Guillermo del Toro, “Whatever he ends up doing, you can be certain it will be fun.” That statement could be true for Crimson Peakif “fun” were defined as a predictable, yawn-inducing plot mixed with flat-as-a-pancake acting. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and The Devil’s Backbone (2001) are masterpieces, but with his latest film, del Toro has overindulged his love of art design at the cost of a redeemable story.
10
flaglive.com | Oct. 22–28, 2015
add to the joy in watching the movie. The set design is topnotch, as are the costumes. The wrinkles to the story keep audiences wondering exactly how this will all work out, especially when an American student is detained by the East Germans and becomes another bargaining chip.
Reviewed by Adreinne Bischoff
What really fluffs her crumpet is learning that Allerdale Hall Donning a Robert Plant-type wig, Mia Wasikowska stars is commonly called “Crimson Peak.” The audience knows this as Edith Cushing, an intriguing-as-corn-flakes heroine whose the moment Edith and Thomas ride along the red dirt path to obliviousness to omens is vastly superior to her convenienttheir front door. (But more perplexing is why the ghost of her when-it-moves-the-story passion for writing. As a young girl, mother would know about Crimson Peak? Is that just common Edith was haunted by her mother’s ghost, who tried to warn knowledge among the dead?) her of some place called “Crimson Peak.” So all we can do for An hour into the film, the story finally catches the remainder of the film is wait for Edith to happen up with the audience, who is rewarded with more upon Crimson Peak. Lo and behold, despite the random ghosts than you can swing a cleaver at, earnest affections from a very hunky, but very CRIMSON ultra-violence (with said cleaver) and exposivanilla Dr. Alan McMichael (Charlie Hunnam), PEAK tory dialogue like the wonderfully pointless Edith, a now burgeoning horror writer, accepts proclamation, “I won’t stop until you kill me the advances of clearly creepy Thomas Sharpe Directed by or I kill you,” during the movie’s climactic (played by Tom Hiddleston, so Edith can be Guillermo del Toro ending. The multiple stabbings sort of comforgiven somewhat.) Rated R HARKINS THEATRES municate that. Accepting Thomas’ marriage proposal after How Edith learns her life is at risk is about her father mysteriously/predictably dies, Edith as absurd as the explanation of the horrors lurkmoves to Thomas’ family home, Allerdale Hall, in ing Crimson Peak. It’s all so absolutely ridiculous the remote English countryside and never picks up and unjustified that del Toro would have done audia pen again—her career ambitions apparently as dead ences a huge favor by just killing off everyone and starting as both of her parents. The house is gothic on steroids, yet anew somewhere else. For crying out loud, he doesn’t even definitely a “fixer-upper.” What would horrify any HGTV celebdestroy the mansion à la House of Usher (1960), which was rity—the gaping hole in the ceiling of Thomas’ frigid mansion, clearly foreshadowed and desperately needed if for no other the red, liquid clay oozing through its floors and walls, Thomas’ reason than to destroy all hope of a sequel. (Hint: it’s not a clearly murderous sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain)—evokes good film.) only a grumpy frown from the perpetually adolescent Edith.
C-