Crisp Criticism - "Bridge of Spies", "Burnt", "The Lobster"

by

Julien Faddoul

Bridge of Spies **

An American lawyer is recruited by the CIA during the Cold War to help rescue a pilot detained in the Soviet Union.

Dogged political drama from its director that only partially engrosses: Filled with classical compositions and cinematic outflow, it works best as a model pattern for his current sensibilities and his ongoing fascination with the stamina it requires for the average human being to save another.

d – Steven Spielberg

w – Matt Charman, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

ph – Janusz Kaminski

pd – Adam Stockhausen

m – Thomas Newman

ed – Michael Kahn

cos – Kasia Walicka-Maimone 

p – Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt, Kristie Macosko Krieger

Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda, Austin Stowell, Eve Hewson, Billy Magnussen, Michael Simon Hall, Edward James Hyland, Stephen Kunken, Mike Houston, James Lorinz, Michael Power, Joe Starr, Merab Ninidze, Greg Nutcher, Scott Shepherd, Jesse Plemons, Domenick Lombardozzi, Sebastian Koch, Michael Gaston, Peter McRobbie, Joshua Harto, Mark Zak, Marko Caka, John Ohkuma

Burnt

A Chef, who destroyed his career with drugs and diva behavior, cleans up and returns to London, determined to redeem himself by spearheading a top restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars.

A highly confused drama that foolishly tries everything in its power to make its audience love its clearly idiotic main character.

d – John Wells

w – Steven Knight, Michael Kalesniko

ph – Adriano Goldman

pd – David Gropman

m – Rob Simonsen

ed – Nick Moore

cos – Lyn Paolo

p – Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Erwin Stoff

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Lily James, Jamie Dornan, Alicia Vikander, Uma Thurman, Emma Thompson, Matthew Rhys, Daniel Brühl, Sarah Greene, Omar Sy, Sam Keeley

The Lobster **

In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into an animal of their choosing.

The third film in a row by this director in which he both questions and satirizes the societal building blocks that we blindly concede to, with more deadpan humour than his previous work. His mockery can’t sustain itself for the entire runtime, but he gains invaluable performances from a superb ensemble.

d – Yorgos Lanthimos

w – Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou

ph – Thimios Bakatakis

pd – Jacqueline Abrahams

ed – Yorgos Mavropsaridis

cos – Sarah Blenkinsop

p – Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos, Lee Magiday

Cast: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Léa Seydoux, John C. Reilly, Ben Whishaw, Ariane Labed, Olivia Colman, Ashley Jensen, Angeliki Papoulia, Jessica Barden, Michael Smiley, Rosanna Hoult