Bridge of Spies (2015)

Alison Willmore Bridge of Spies is a heart-on-its-sleeve affirmation of American values -- not in the loaded contemporary sense of the term, but in the way the country was founded on values we have to work and fight to abide by.

Nancy Churnin Authentic re-creations of the period, including duck-and-cover clips about a nuclear holocaust that frightened young students, serve as a reminder of a time, not unlike our own, when the threat of terror kept a steady and disturbing beat.

David Sims Spielberg and Charman frame Donovan as a thin bulwark against the American government's attempts to work around its own supposed ideals at the height of the Cold War.

Amy Nicholson Bridge of Spies connects Cold War paranoia to today's terror. That's a bridge worth building.

Mara Reinstein When all the international parties finally meet up at the shadowy titular bridge, we get to witness humanity - and classic filmmaking - at its finest.

Anthony Lane When a film is as enjoyable as this one, its timing so sweet, and its atmosphere conjured with such skill, do you really wish to register a complaint? Would it help?

Kate Taylor Rylance's performance is particularly interesting as he infuses Abel's dry understatements on his predicament with just the right dose of quiet irony.

Peter Rainer Bridge of Spies is solid and uplifting, but it doesn't extend Spielberg's range.

Peter Travers Who doesn't like to cozy up to an old-school spy thriller that knows how to build tension and tighten it?