As is clear from the trailer, Bridge of Spies tells the story of suspected Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, and insurance lawyer Jim Donovan, who is asked to defend Abel and, later, negotiate the exchange of his client for a captured US spy pilot (Francis Gary Powers). The way the first act cross-cuts between Abel and Powers suggests the inevitability of the pilot's capture and, by implication, his exchange for Abel – although Donovan, as an insurance lawyer, is the only one who foresees such an eventuality.

In many ways, the film is typically Spielbergian: a story which is ultimately about humanity, an 'everyman' character who finds himself in an extraordinary situation, lots of tense dramatic scenes and attention to period details. Yet the film is also much lighter than one might expect, largely due to the Coen brothers' involvement in the screenplay. Donovan and Abel's conversations are often infused with a subtle humour ('You're not worried?' / 'Would it help?'), that one wouldn't usually associate with the genre. In many ways, the witty dialogue is what makes Bridge of Spies stand out from many other spy dramas and complements the more thrilling aspects well.

Mark Rylance is a revelation as Abel and it is really his and Hanks' film. The latter is cast perfectly as 'the good man', although it is also hard to forget that he is Tom Hanks at times, such is his typecast benevolent persona. Thomas Newman's score, equally, is distinctively his and plays the tense/emotional scenes well, whilst also being a little too familiar at times (Spielberg usually opts for John Williams, but this is the fourth Hanks vehicle Newman has scored). Some characters get relatively short shrift (such as Powers), but this isn't necessarily a problem as it keeps the narrative momentum going.

Given that the film is based on true events, the superimposed text at the end detailing what subsequently happened to the major players is unsurprising, although the events of the film could easily stand alone without such a post-script. Bridge of Spies is a tightly crafted narrative, if not full of surprises, then packed with tension that make even the most mundane exchanges seem charged with potential danger. Add to that genuinely funny moments thanks to Coen-penned repartee and this is certainly a film worth seeing.