Light in tone yet weighty in subject, Bridge of Spies portrays a pivotal moment during the Cold War with an earnest air and pristine execution that ranks high in the filmographies of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

Where much can be said about Steven Spielberg the filmmaker, so too can many a word be written about Spielberg the political powerhouse. A noted supporter of the Democrat Party (Hollywood’s endorsements of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama came at his behest), Spielberg’s political liberal principles are felt throughout his films, often coupled with an affection for the pivotal players in American history who fought for the tenants of his ideology.

Bridge of Spies continues that trend. Based on two pivotal moments during the Cold War - the 1957 trial of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylace) and the 1960 U2 incident that led to the capture of American CIA pilot Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) – the film focuses on insurance lawyer James B. Donovan’s (Tom Hanks) vital role in negotiating the prisoner swap of both men.

In his fourth film with Spielberg, Hanks brings that everyman quality to an extraordinary individual, whose forthright conviction that every man be treated equally (as promised in the United States Constitution) is met with derision when that right is placed upon a Soviet spy. Where in today's world acts of treason can elevate an individual to the status of rock star, crimes against the government were much more frowned upon during a Cold War where the threat of nuclear annihilation was constant and looming.

There is no doubt that Bridge of Spies is as much of a love note from Spielberg to Donovan and the freedoms he rightly defended, as it is a expertly constructed political thriller that although light in tension, is never the less palpable in its stakes.

The films script – first written by Mark Chapman and later revised by Coen brothers Ethan and Joel - slickly threads enough exposition to keep its audience informed and also features a snap in its dialogue, which two time Oscar winner Hanks takes to with a deceptive ease akin to watching an older Michael Jordan use his veteran savvy to score at will.

Great too is Mark Rylace, the lauded theatre actor (some claim the best) instilling his doomed Soviet agent with a grounded calm that opens itself to a sly wit which is  funny, wise and dry in the best kind of  Coen Brothers way.

Of course many can be forgiven if the combination of Spielberg-Hanks-Coens did not bring forth the epic results imagined. Regardless, Bridge of Spies is a great film that tackles big ideas with a leisurely strut, an entertaining piece of American history that reminds of the importance that the freedoms bestowed upon us all is what constitutes a democracy.