Day: August 14, 2016

Bridge Of Spies

- Roshan

The combination of Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg delivered an awesomely wonderful and delightful film in Bridge Of Spies. A 2015 historical drama legal thriller film directed and co-produced by Spielberg, is co-produced by Marc E. Platt and Kristie Macosko Krieger, and written by Matt Charman, Ethan and Joel Coen. The film stars Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, and Alan Alda.

Rudolf Abel, a Scottish born Russian spy is arrested by FBI agents in Brooklyn. With a lot of evidence against him, Abel is told that if he cooperates his sentence will be lowered but he doesn’t offer up anything. When the question about representation for the spy comes up, it’s apparent that no one wants to the scapegoat. James B. Donovan is an insurance lawyer with substantial negotiation experience and worked on prosecutions of German war crimes in the Nuremberg trials. The bar association asks him to defend Abel, in order to ensure that justice is seen to be done. Donovan, although knows his client is guilty, does his work earnestly identifying procedural flaws in the government’s case which are ignored by the judge. He comes under a lot of pressure from the public, friends and family as the conclusion is foregone. Abel is judged guilty as charged.

Donovan meets the judge privately before sentencing and argues that Abel not be sentenced to death, as he could serve as “insurance” if a U.S. spy is captured. Abel is sentenced to 30 years in prison, which causes outrage by the public and sees hate mail pouring towards the direction of Donovan and his family and even threats in the form of a gun shot fired at his home. Nevertheless, he appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is denied, arguing evidence presented was tainted by lack of a valid search warrant. As the case is concluding, the American military & airforce plans an aerial spy run above Soviet skies to take photos of key areas. Pilot Gary Powers goes on a Lockheed U-2 sortie over the Soviet Union and is shot down, captured, unable to kill himself before that happens and convicted and subjected to interrogation. The USSR sends a backchannel message to Donovan, hinting at exchanging of Abel for Powers. Director of Central Intelligence Allen Welsh Dulles asks Donovan to handle negotiations, formally merely as a private citizen, negotiating with ‘Mr. Vogel’ in East Germany. Donovan travels to West Berlin accompanied by CIA agents.

As this is happening, a young American student in Germany named Frederic Pryor, visits his German girlfriend in East Berlin just as the Berlin Wall is being built. He tries to bring her into West Berlin, but is stopped by border guards and arrested as an American spy. Donovan goes to the Soviet Embassy in East Berlin, and meets Ivan Schischkin. Schischkin asks for Abel to be released first, and Powers released several months after, but Donovan insists on simultaneous release. Donovan also wants Pryor released, but Schischkin informs him that Pryor is held by East Germany. Donovan, who understands that the Russian and East German interests do not match, each wants to make a one-for-one deal for Abel. Donovan meets Wolfgang Vogel, a GDR lawyer, and negotiates a separate deal to exchange Abel for Pryor. Schischkin informs Donovan that the USSR agrees with the proposed trade, and plans the exchange to occur on the Glienicke Bridge. However, Vogel pulls out after discovering the deal Donovan made with the USSR. Donovan is contacted by Vogel’s superior, Harald Ott, East German attorney general, and goes to his office insisting on the 2-for-1 deal. Ott bluntly refuses.

Donovan sends a message to Ott, stating that the U.S. requires both Pryor and Powers for Abel, or the entire deal will be void. That evening, the GDR calls and accepts, with the requirement that Pryor is to be released at Checkpoint Charlie instead, simultaneously. At the bridge Donovan meets Abel and on the other side Powers is brought forth. Both Americans and Russians urge a quick completion, but Donovan insists on waiting for Pryor’s release. Out of gratitude, Abel waits. Eventually, Pryor is released at Checkpoint Charlie, and Abel is promptly exchanged for Powers. An exhausted Donovan returns home as the news of his involvement in the release of Powers is reported on TV, watched by his family. As the movie ends, Donovan heads for work in a train and gets a smile from a lady who recognizes him when early he got frowns and he just nods with a small smile.

Wonderful movie, great acting and it’s fun as well. Whenever Abel asks “Will it help?” I cracked up. Just a wonderfully uplifting movie to watch. A 9 outta 10!

2116

- Roshan

What will it be like in the future? Let’s say a 100 years from now. What will things look like? I dunno but I would like to take a guess.

Well for one, none of us will be alive to make sure that this is even remotely like how it is, but for one I think science will advance things quite a bit more. Humans will all have 3D televisions at home and they will cost a fraction of what the current tvs cost. And by 3D I mean it will pop out and you can get a view of what you are watching from all sides.

Travel will become cheaper and people will travel a lot more and a lot faster than we currently do now. But your luggage will still get lost about the same number of times it does now. A few languages will die out. There will be more atheists or non-believers (whatever you want to call us) than we currently have now. But religion will still be around and strong but not as strong as it used to be.

There will be people reeling from a huge war, maybe even a huge one on a global scale. Societies will be rebuilt and the population will be down in certain areas. Can we look for colonization of another planet/moon something? Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to walk on an alien planet? Look up at the sky and see different views than what we see on earth?

I dunno, I hope some of these things come true.

RIP Kenny Baker

- Roshan

The British actor who played R2-D2 in the Star Wars films has died at the age of 81 after a long illness. Kenny Baker, who was 3ft 8in tall, shot to fame in 1977 when he first played the robot character. He went on to play the character in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as well as the three Star Wars prequels from 1999 to 2005. He also appeared in a number of other much loved films in the 1980s, including The Elephant Man, Time Bandits and Flash Gordon. When he was a child, he was told that he probably wouldn’t survive through puberty, being a little person in those times, they didn’t have a very good life expectancy.

Baker met his wife Eileen after an appearance on the Michael Parkinson TV chat show. She wrote in and said she was a little person too and wanted to meet him. Standing 3 feet 8 inches tall, Baker created Artoo’s much-loved innocent yet adventurous personality from inside the droid, starting with 1977’s A New Hope. Whether it was the slow turn of Artoo’s dome to convey suspicion or nervous wobbles signifying fear, Baker made a robotic being seem very human. In addition, he played Paploo, the Ewok who memorably steals a speeder bike in 1983’s Return of the Jedi. The actor became a legend to Star Wars fans.

Born in Birmingham, England, Baker began acting at age 16. Along with the Star Wars films, his career also includes performances in Lucasfilm’s Willow (1988 ), and more. In 1978, he immortalized Artoo at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, making cement footprints of the droid that remain outside the famed theater today.