Split (2017)

The more recent work of director M. Night Shyamalan (The Visit, Lady In The Water) has been very hit or miss.  Thankfully, Split is a well made movie that marks a return to form for Shyamalan.
The film begins with the abduction of three teenage girls (Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, and Anya Taylor-Joy) by a mysterious individual named Kevin (James McAvoy).  We soon learn that Kevin suffers from DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder), a condition which has resulted in him exhibiting 23 distinct personalities.  While the girls try to escape their captivity, Kevin visits his therapist, Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley).  She does what she can to help Kevin, but it soon becomes clear that something isn't right when Kevin's 'others' begin to constantly contact her asking for help.  They are all worried about a mysterious 24th personality that is apparently much worse than any other, and is getting ready to emerge.
When I first saw the trailer for Split, it seemed too good to be true, from an acting standpoint.  As it turns out, I was right.  I wasn't counting, but there are roughly eight personalities we see portrayed onscreen by James McAvoy, rather than all 24, as we're led to believe.  This isn't to say that McAvoy delivers a bad performance, however.  His character ranges from coldly murderous to friendly, or even disarmingly funny, sometimes all within a few minutes of screen time.  Even a slight change in facial expression or posture alerts the audience to his changes in personality, which is extra impressive considering how often these changes happen over the course of the film.
McAvoy is helped immensely helped by a great supporting cast.  Betty Buckley is wonderful as Kevin's caring, but concerned therapist.  I appreciate that M. Night Shyamalan allowed this film to take its time in examining the psychological side of the story, rather than simply focusing on the teens in danger part of the story.  Anya Taylor-Joy is another standout as Casey, a quiet, but sharply intelligent young woman.  We receive much of her story in small flashbacks, and by the end of the film, we reach a fuller understanding of Casey's character, and what makes her the smartest one in the room.
Split is a well shot film with a perfect balance of mystery and tension.  While the story does dip into the fantastic for a moment or two, it never feels too unrealistic.  With some very strong acting to back it up, Split makes for a great piece of suspense with a few solid horror accents.

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Imagine you're playing a game of chess.  Now, imagine all of the game pieces and all of the squares on the board are the same colour.  It's difficult, isn't it?  It's difficult to know whose pieces are whose, which moves are legal and which aren't.  Finally, imagine this is a high-stakes game, and the results determine life or death for someone else.  This is the world of Bridge of Spies.
Set during the Cold War, this Steven Spielberg film tells the true story of James Donovan (Tom Hanks), a New York insurance lawyer who is drafted to defend one Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) on multiple charges of Russian espionage.  Most people, including the judge, believe this is an open and shut case, and the trial is merely a show for the public.  Donovan doesn't see it that way, and is determined that Abel receives the fairest treatment possible, if only to demonstrate American values to the USSR.  Despite his best efforts, Abel is found guilty on all counts.
Meanwhile, Francis Powers, an American air force pilot, is shot down over Russia while flying a U2 spy plane.  He is captured and held in a Soviet prison, which offers an opportunity to Donovan.  An exchange of prisoners is offered between the USA and the USSR.  At the same time, in Germany, a young American student named Frederic Pryor is caught on the wrong side of the under-construction Berlin wall, and is held in prison.  Donovan then determines to negotiate with both parties in order to free both men in the exchange.
With the assistance of the CIA, James Donovan is sent to Berlin to perform the negotiations.  From here begins a strange game of misinformation, tricky negotiations, and secrecy.  Donovan succeeds against difficult odds, and the film concludes with an edge-of-your-seat exchange set on the Glienicke Bridge, where we discover if everyone is true to their word or not.
The script, by Matt Charman and the Coen Brothers, is superbly written.  Every line drips with hidden meaning, and the tension is consistent until the very end.  Unlike other films of its kind, Bridge of Spies chooses not to use any subtitles, despite numerous scenes with dialogue in German and Russian.  I find that not knowing the other languages serves to increase the mystery, as well as communicating Donovan's experience of being a stranger in foreign territory.  The audience never truly misses anything from the lack of subtitles, but I can't help but wonder if the film experience is different for people who are fluent in German or Russian.
The script is helped with an outstanding cast.  Tom Hanks gives a wonderfully convicted performance as James Donovan, a man who is well aware of the odds against him, but is determined to do whatever it takes to see justice done.  Equally good is Mark Rylance, as the always stoic Rudolf Abel, a performance which earned him an Academy Award.  Among the rest of the well-rounded cast, I especially enjoyed Mikhail Gorevoy as Ivan Schischkin.  His performance reminded me of the work of classic bad-guy actor Peter Lorre.
At its heart, Bridge of Spies is all about the concept of freedom.  It examines how we define freedom, as well as the effects of limiting freedom, or removing it outright.  To James Donovan, it was irrelevant whether Rudolf Abel was a spy or not.  What mattered was his being given a fair chance at living a life of freedom.  This film provides a very interesting look at history, and how extreme politics can affect a country's society.  Considering the political climate today, it's an important lesson to be reminded of.