Disclosure Day

For me, there was some white hot anticipation for this summer's DISCLOSURE DAY,  director Steven Spielberg's latest film.  A return to science fiction, another sure to be epic adventure involving extraterrestrials.  Part of what made Spielberg a legend all those years ago.  I trust you've seen CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND and E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL.  If not, close this window immediately and get cracking. 

 

After the film opened in June, the reaction was mixed.  Mostly unfavorable.  This was discouraging, though I don't usually become influenced by the consensus.  If I'm interested in something, I won't (usually, anyway) let public opinion sway me in either direction.  There was no way I wasn't going to see this movie.  I hoped to get a chance to see it on the big screen.  A week ago, I finally did.  The criticisms I've viewed online are valid.  I can understand the misgivings.  I liked it anyway.

Emily Blunt plays Margaret Fairchild, a meteorologist for an NBC affiliate in Kansas City, Missouri.  Of late she's been acting oddly.  Demonstrating mind reading, psychic ability, speaking in foreign tongues she never knew.  Feeling something is, off.   Things culminate when she collapses on the air during a weather report.  After she begins speaking in a language unknown to mankind.  To me it sounded vaguely Bushoong.  Her MRI is unremarkable.  What is happening?

Meanwhile, a cybersecurity specialist named Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor) has gone rogue from his employer.  The Wardex Corporation, a government agency, has been holding back intel on alien life. Daniel has made off with hard drives with some revealing images of close encounters at Roswell, Homestead Air Force Base, and elsewhere.  He also swiped a mysterious wand, an uber powerful piece of E.T. technology.  The chase is on.

Much of DISCLOSURE DAY is a indeed a chase as Daniel and his girlfriend Jane Blankenship (Eve Hewson), a former apprentice nun, duck from Daniel's boss, Wardex CEO Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth) and his minions. Cars will be wrecked.  Assisting the fugitives (by phone) is Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo), another rogue Wardex employee who has co-workers organizing a disclosure day. And erecting what looks like a movie set house.  He is intent on having Daniel and Margaret meet.  It seems they share something.....

Spielberg creates another mix of exciting action, sentiment, and wonder.  A handful of sly moments of humor.  His direction remains electric and imaginative.  And distinctive.  Can't miss those patented zooms and sometimes harsh lighting schemes. The film's gear shifting isn't exactly seamless, but it works well enough much of the time. Some of the later emotional moments got to me. John Williams contributes another good score.  

DISCLOSURE DAY is far from a classic, mainly due to David Koepp's messy screenplay, one that I read went through forty plus drafts.  It probably should've been reworked altogether.  Certainly tightened. The attempts to explore religious themes are surface.  Shallow at best.  Perhaps better addressed in a different alien movie.  Maybe Koepp and Spielberg saw too many X-Files episodes, which did all of this better in much less running time. 

The characters could've been more interesting.  To me Hugo was the most intriguing.  The actors do solid work.  If nothing else, Blunt absolutely proves she can do a lengthy, convincing panic attack.