Disclosure Day
Much of Steven Spielberg’s work – that is, the non-historical dramas – can be divided into two categories. He specializes in sentimentality (think “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” or “A.I. Artificial Intelligence”), but also in the techno-geek realm of “Minority Report” and “Ready Player One.” His latest project, “Disclosure Day,” fits somewhere in between those two classifications, but unfortunately leans heavier into the techno side. Now, why do I say that is unfortunate? Because it doesn’t feel like we ever truly “know” these characters. They are simply chess pieces Spielberg moves around the board as required by the overly complex plot. But they don’t exist as fleshed out human beings. This is the same complaint I had last fall with Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar-winning “One Battle After Another.”
The first story
Somewhat jarringly, “Disclosure Day” begins after what would have been the first act has already occurred. We’re dropped right into the middle of a chase scene involving a young cybersecurity expert named Daniel (played by Josh O’Connor), who has stolen a set of files from his employer detailing a vast, yearslong, corporate coverup of extra-terrestrial interactions dating back to the 1940s. And that’s another Spielberg technique. There were also government or institutional cover-ups in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “A.I.” Daniel and his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson) are running from the evil Noah Scanlon – head of the Wardex Corporation – who doesn’t want the files exposed. He’s played by Colin Firth. Managing (or overseeing) Daniel’s endeavors is Wardex defector Hugo Wakefield, played by Colman Domingo, who seems to be everywhere these days.
The second story
In a seemingly unrelated story, Kansas City television meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (an excellent Emily Blunt) experiences a series of odd psychic skills that confuse her, her boyfriend Jackson (Wyatt Russell), her co-workers at the station, and even a local cop. When the police officer pulls her over for speeding, Margaret looks deep into his eyes and diagnoses recent personal events in his life, the way a therapist would, only in less that 30 seconds. Perplexed yet encouraged, the cop lets her go without even a warning.
David Koepp’s original screenplay jumps back-and-forth between the two narratives, but much as with Richard Dreyfus and Melinda Dillon in “Close Encounters,” we know the two stories will intersect at some point. The psychic meteorologist’s is the more interesting, as we’ve never seen anything like this before, and her actions – including speaking (on the air, mind you) in a strange clicking sound only Daniel can understand – are intriguing because they are so very unique. Daniel’s driving force is to expose the Wardex cover-up. That’s a worthy cause, but we’ve seen whistleblower stories before.
Religious angle
Daniel’s story takes a compelling turn when his girlfriend Jane spends a night hiding from the Wardex thugs in her old convent. Here, she approaches her former Mother Superior about the righteousness of exposing the files Daniel has wrenched away from Wardex. It’s always refreshing to see a major motion picture tackle a religious angle, and Spielberg is not afraid to tread those waters here.
Busy plot
This is a “busy” plot, however. There’s almost too much going on at once – including recurring news reports regarding a potential World War III, spearheaded by North Korea. And there’s just enough scientific mumbo-jumbo to confuse even the most intelligent STEM experts.
Similar to “Close Encounters”
Of all Spielberg’s past work, “Disclosure Day” most closely resembles “Close Encounters,” although without the sense of awe and wonder that made that film a classic. Also, “Disclosure Day” doesn’t have Richard Dreyfus, who specialized in awe and wonder. His performance made us appreciate his longing to learn more about the alien life forms that had touched his world. That’s missing in this picture. Here, the focal point is the Wardex coverup. Yes, there was a coverup in “Close Encounters,” but the focus of that story was on the individuals who had experienced the encounters. “Disclosure Day” takes the science angle, not the personal angle.
Having said that, some of the action sequences are unforgettable – particularly one involving a collision between a car and a speeding train at a rural railroad crossing. But again like “One Battle After Another,” the action sequences use up screen time that could have been afforded to character development. Rather than learning what makes Daniel so adamant about exposing the Wardex conspiracy, we’re treated to an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride. It’s exciting and riveting! But it detracts from what could have been.
Emily Blunt
The final act is chock full of revelations, and Emily Blunt turns in the best performance of her career as the “common man” caught in the web of an overarching plot. Hers is the Dreyfus character this time around. Again, it’s not nearly as sentimental. But it is effective. We relate more to her character than any of the others because she lets us feel Margaret’s confusion, coupled with her desire to help expose the truth. Once she acknowledges her place in the scheme of things, she is as dead set on disclosing the truth as Daniel and Hugo.
Spielberg raises questions
Spielberg has always had a sense of curiosity regarding the potential of extra-terrestrial life. But here, he approaches the material from the angle of world knowledge. In other words, IF in fact aliens had made contact with humans in the past, what would happen if we suddenly knew? Would mankind be better for knowing this information? Our initial reaction, of course, is an emphatic “Yes!” Spielberg makes us at least think otherwise.
“Disclosure Day” doesn’t rank among the greatest of Spielberg’s work. But it’s certainly not the worst. Ranking his work as akin to ranking Martin Scorsese’s. There’s a lot of output, and much of it is some of the best filmmaking in history. Upon an initial dive into his filmography, I find myself placing this one in the lower range of Spielberg’s top ten best pictures. And for almost any other director, that would be a rousing endorsement. Same with “One Battle After Another.” If anyone other than Paul Thomas Anderson had made that film, it would have been a classic. But he’s set the bar so high, it registers as just mediocre. Spielberg suffers from the same fate. Much of his work is so brilliant that “Disclosure Day” falls somewhere in the upper middle of his legacy.
Andy Ray‘s reviews also appear on https://townepost.com/tag/film-review/