REEL DEAL: Bridges of Spies REVIEW

The cold war has been a very critical period in history, as it was just after the World War, and the nuclear technology poses as a great threat to humanity. With two key players, the United States and U.S.S.R., harnessing the information, technology and development of these weapons are damn scary. That is the premise of Bridge of Spies by Stephen Spielberg which stars Tom Hanks as James B. Donovan.

With the capture of an alleged Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel, Donavan became his attorney and eventually become a negotiator in making an exchange for an American who was captured while making espionage flight over Russia. The negotiations take place in East Berlin where another American was also caught in the conflict thus making the exchange more complicated.

Many of us would think that period films would be boring, but Bridge of Spies gave the sense of excitement, sadness, and psychological conflicts that makes a connection to the viewers. And of course, Tom Hanks and Mark Raylance did an awesome job for their respective roles. 

Stephen Spielberg Assembles A Powerhouse Cast In Historical Epic “BRIDGE OF SPIES”

At the height of the Cold War era, the world’s superpowers – the United States and the Soviet Union’s heightened paranoia unfolds in Steven Spielberg’s engaging thriller “Bridge of Spies” starring  two-time Oscar® winner Tom Hanks as lawyer James Donovan; three-time Tony Award® and two-time Olivier Award winner Mark Rylance as arrested Soviet spy Rudolf Abel; Scott Shepherd as CIA officer Hoffman; Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan as Donovan’s wife, Mary; Sebastian Koch as East German lawyer Wolfgang Vogel; seven-time Emmy Award® winner and Oscar nominee Alan Alda as Thomas Watters, a partner at Donovan’s law firm; Austin Stowell as downed Air Force pilot Francis Gary Powers; Mikhail Gorevoy as Soviet official Ivan Schischkin; and Will Rogers as Frederic Pryor, an American student detained in East Berlin.

REEL DEAL: Lincoln - TRAILER

“LINCOLN” INTERNATIONAL TRAILER REVEAL

From avant-garde filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes a sweeping epic essaying the final moments of a man’s legacy in “Lincoln,” starring Academy Award Winners Daniel Day Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. 

20th Century Fox, Dreamworks Pictures present in association with Participant Media further reveals in “Lincoln’s” international trailer (video link at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v8ZLQ6UV7RI )the final four months of Abraham Lincoln’s life and presidency.  The full measure of the man—his passion and his humanity—came to bear on his defining battle:  to plot a forward path for a shattered nation, against overwhelming odds and extreme public and personal pressure.  

REEL DEAL: Lincoln SPOTLIGHT

Steven Spielberg's LINCOLN Trailer Revealed

Dream Works Pictures and 20th Century Fox reveal the long-awaited trailer  of "Lincoln." From pioneering blockbuster maker and one of the world’s most influential filmmakers, Academy Award-winner Steven Spielberg directs Academy Award-winning actors Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones in the sweeping drama “Lincoln.”

Steven Spielberg’s biographical epic “Lincoln” puts Daniel Day-Lewis in the titular role as the most beloved 16th president of the United States.  The movie unveils Lincoln’s tumultuous final months in office following his triumph in leading his country during the Civil War and leaving his greatest legacy on ending slavery.   Renowned for his Gettysburg Address “Four scores and seven years ago…that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from earth” Lincoln, coming from a poor family is a self-educated man who became a politician and was able to unite the country with his steadfast moral compass and passion to succeed changed the fate of his country’s next generations. 

REEL DEAL Movies and Television: Andy Serkis SPOTLIGHT

Andy Serkis plays Captain Haddock in  Spileberg’s The Adventure of Tintin

To play Haddock, Jackson suggested an actor he knew had what it would take to embody all the dynamics of the role:  Andy Serkis.   “Knowing Andy as well as I did, I knew he’d be absolutely terrific, so I arranged for him to meet Steven, who saw right away what he could bring to it,” he says.  


Spielberg adds: “Andy and Jamie had fantastic chemistry as this iconic pairing of a youthful, moral straight shooter and an old, reprobate sea captain.  They’re complete opposites, yet Captain Haddock brings many lessons to Tintin’s life, and Tintin really gives Haddock a chance to redeem himself.”


Serkis, who has been a fan of the comic since childhood, decided to give his character, whose origins are open to interpretation, a Scottish brogue that sets the tone for his journey.   “It seemed appropriate that Haddock should have a kind of rawness and emotional availability,” Serkis explains.  “He’s a great seaman and has great potential as a human being, but he’s kind of lost in self-pity, and it is Tintin, this boy, who helps him realize that he can connect with other people again.”

REEL DEAL Movies and Television: The Adventures of Tintin REVIEW

I grew up with a lot of cartoons yet most of them have turned into lost memories because they lack permanence. But it was The Adventures of Tintin that actually opened my eyes to many amazing discoveries that inspired me to be a detective and scientist (which I think I also am). Though have not seen all the tintin comics has been fascinated by the bravery of Tintin and the charm and wit of his dog Snowy.


Now after decades from where it started. Tintin created by Herge is now made ito a live movie (using advanced CGI). But unlike other comic adaptations into movies, this Tintin movie is special because it will be formed under Peter Jackson and Stephen Spielberg. And with a powerhouse staff and actors, every second is indeed a moment not to be missed. If you are a fan of the comic series, you may see a lot of related moments to the comic series. But don't fret for those who are first time to see/know Tintin because his character and so well are the others will be introduced with a lot of action and excitement.

REEL DEAL Movies and Teleision: The Adventures of TinTin SPOTLIGHT

From Billy Elliot  to Jumper, Jamie Bell is the iconic Speilberg’s Tintin

To play the iconic role of the intrepid, boyish reporter who has mirrored countless dreams of adventure, the filmmakers chose Jamie Bell.   “Jamie’s performance in Billy Elliot was astonishing to me, not just the subtlety of his acting, but the tremendous physical performance he gave,” Spielberg notes.  “Peter and I both thought he had all the right qualities for Tintin.”

Growing up in England, Bell had been a Tintin fan since childhood. “There’s something about Hergé’s art that leaves an imprint on you.  It’s unforgettable,” he muses.  But now, he had the chance to imprint the character with tangible, human emotions and that thrilled him.