Arguably the best director of the last fifty years, Steven Spielberg makes his eagerly anticipated return to science fiction and brings a bunch of new toys to Disclosure Day. If you have seen any prior outings, this film is going to feel very familiar, yet incredibly different. A human-interest story where a ton of other things happen just off screen?
Disclosure Day gravitates around multiple individuals all tied together by secret knowledge. Knowledge kept from the public by the government, extraterrestrials, and others who have the truth and want to disclose it to the world all set during the most trying time in the narrative’s history.
Burying the lead, I feel like I may have set myself up for failure by setting my hopes too high for this picture. Despite phenomenal performances, the brilliance of Industrial Light & Magic, and the incredibly trusted hand of Mr. Spielberg, I found the film lacking.
It is a beautifully shot movie with Spielberg showing how adept he is at matching his visuals to the story being told and furthering cinema technology. One particular action sequence was so mesmerizing that it hit my brain like an auto shut off. Everything got quiet with only the thought “Wow. That’s cool.” echoing in my head. Unfortunately, some of the most questionable scenes I have ever experienced for a seasoned filmmaker also occur during the film and those are harder to shake. No spoilers, but the logic gaps at times would be easier to get away with had Disclosure Day had been made more like a children’s film rather attempting an edgy PG-13. It also felt like a playful dig at some other big-name directors with so many lens flares that JJ Abrams would think it was too much and the appearance of the primary antagonist.
On the opposite side of the coin, every performance elevates the film as much as any portrayals could. Emily Blunt is her charming, engaging self while adding layers as her character grows through the film. Spoiled to a lesser extent in the advertisements, but her ability to flip a switch in the middle of a delivery is something that will need to be studied. Josh O’Connor (Wake Up Dead Man) continues his rise to the A-list embodying that little brother you want to root for vibe. Most dramatically, Colin Firth was actually terrifying and while I knew he had that ability, I had never experienced it.
Disclosure Day hits theaters June 12th and demands to be seen in the highest quality format available. Seeing Spielberg play with the ILM tools in anything less is a waste.