‘Kasbah’ and ‘Spies’ are two films to see

Rock the Kasbah ****

In a few swings and misses, such as in the well-meaning but flat “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” actor/comedian Bill Murray showed promise, and glimpses of his old comic genius, but maybe had the wrong vehicle. In his newest dramedy, “Rock the Kasbah,” Murray has found his old spark, and is clearly in the right seat. Murray plays Richie Lanz, a washed-up, never very successful talent agent and promoter who stumbles into a U.S.O. tour deal with his only client, the permanently unhappy singer, Ronnie, played by Zooey Deschanel. When the pair arrive in Kabul, Afghanistan, Ronnie has second thoughts about performing in a place where car bombs and I.E.D.s go off every few minutes. Meanwhile Murray discovers a true talent in the form of a young Afghan girl who he sees as his redemption. The story is loosely based on “Afghan Star,” a documentary about a girl who rises to fame in Afghanistan’s version of “American Idol.” The supporting cast of Bruce Willis, Danny McBride, and Kate Hudson, along with tight directing from Academy Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning Barry Levinson come together for an inspiring, somewhat true tale, with a lot of heart and humor, as only Murray can deliver.

Bridge of Spies ****

When Steven Spielberg gets behind the camera and directs Tom Hanks, it’s almost a sure-fire no brainer. Add in a great script adapted from the true Cold War-era story of a spy trade negotiated by a simple insurance lawyer, the real-life James Donovan (Hanks), plus the tension of a fish out of water in East Germany, the outcome has to be good. In the case of “Bridge of Spies,” the result is real excellence in filmmaking. In another one of those movies that should be seen by every high school student, the history of the biggest story of 1960, perhaps of the entire Cold War, comes to life on the big screen. We learn, or re-learn, the true story of the partitioning of East and West Germany, and of the brinksmanship between KGB and CIA operatives as they use Donovan to piece together a precarious trade between shot-down U.S. pilot Gary Francis Powers and captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. The two-hour and 21-minute film never drags or feels long as the story unfolds. The filmmaker (and many historians) imply that the lawyer, Donovan (Hanks) saved mankind from World War III and nuclear holocaust, at unbelievable personal peril and sacrifice.

This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 6:41 AM with the headline "‘Kasbah’ and ‘Spies’ are two films to see."