True story of James B. Donovan, the insurance lawyer tasked with making sure Russian spy Rudolf Abel got a fair trial (and deal with the ensuing odium for believing in the Constitution) and then with negotiating the 1962 swap of Abel for downed U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers.

This unabashedly old-fashioned, slightly square, and thoroughly satisfying spy saga was meticulously crafted by Steven Spielberg (Capra meets Le Carré?), scripted by the Coen brothers, and stars Tom Hanks. What’s not to like? A high point for me was the magnificent, movie-anchoring, non-emotive performance by Mark Rylance as Abel. (141 min)