Idealistic Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones, tasked by his boss to lead an investigation into the CIA’s post 9/11 Detention and Interrogation Program, uncovers shocking secrets.
It can be hard to make paperwork sexy even if that paperwork has to deal with uncovering the use of torture on suspected terrorists in connection to 9/11. The countless hours one spends staring at a screen or interviewing witnesses or tracking emails and recipients isn’t fun or exciting. That work is exhausting a laborious. It is more tedious and time-consuming than it is riveting or action-packed. Director Scott Burns tries his hardest to bring all of that to the audience in a film that bleeds grandiosity but try as he may, these years of FBI agent Daniel Jones (Adam Driver) pouring over pieces of a story he must put together isn’t a plot that many will enjoy.
“The Report” isn’t a bad film by any means, the script is well written and Driver and his cohorts deliver every line well. The cinematography is there to the point where sadness and anger are all you can feel knowing what the United States government allowed to happen to individuals who had no part in 9/11. The visuals that this film delivers are stunning. Escapism can take you away from your problems and put you in the shoes of others who may be living a more exciting life than you. In regards to escapism and “The Report,” it puts you in the shoes of men who are being beaten and abused mentally and physically all because a small group of people believe that they might have the tiniest bit of info on a terrorist plot.
When I say this film isn’t one that many will enjoy I mean that it’s a niche film, one that those who are interested in the subject matter will enjoy greatly. However, if you and your date decide late on Friday that Adam Driver was great in Star Wars and that means you’ll love this film, there is a chance, a large one, that you’ll be disappointed. This film doesn’t explain itself for the simple fact that it shouldn’t have to. If you are invested in the subject matter you know what you are getting into. If not, well, it’s best you try another film. Driver plays his character well, one that starts on this journey of uncovering a few bits of information and ends that journey as a man who sees the true horrors of government power if left unchecked. He seems to be an actor that is the sole choice for this role. I couldn’t imagine anyone else bringing the level of intense dry severity to this role.
While watching this film, I thought of “Spotlight” and the way it brought the monotony of investigative journalism to the big screen. I still wonder how these two differ. They both cover the grunt work of bringing knowledge to the people and they both show it in similar ways. However, “Spotlight” won an Academy Award and I doubt “The Report” will. Maybe it’s the subject matter and the level of public involvement between both issues. Whatever the case, “The Report” is worth a watch if you know what you are getting into but its limited accessibility takes it out of the running for a date night film.
In Theaters Friday, November 15th
