It’s not news that director Steven Spielberg knows how to make entertaining, thrilling movies, and his 35th film, “Disclosure Day,” proves that yet again. As in his profound “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977) and the more playful “E.T.” (1982), Spielberg advances his fascination with the idea of aliens visiting here and, in this instance, their cruel treatment amidst government cover-ups. Playing again with science fiction elements, here Spielberg elaborates on both the believers and the antiheroes. Interested throughout in understanding and interacting with other worldly visitors, Spielberg offers an imaginative ride both exhilarating and provocative with a noteworthy, poignant advocacy for empathy.
Jumping immediately into the adrenaline-charged action (no slow-moving exposition here), cybersecurity expert Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) has already stolen Wardex Corporation data he gets paid to protect. This secret government agency, led by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), will stop at nothing, and they mean nothing, to retrieve the information. With his clueless, ex-novitiate girlfriend Jane Blankenship (Eve Hewson), she and Daniel flee to a convent, thereby factoring in an evocative, tangential religious subtext left a suggestive, more than an explicit, association. Throughout the nerve-wracking attempts to elude Wardex’s trackers, Daniel fully appreciates the value of his files and is, therefore, desperate to safeguard them.
Meantime, launching a parallel plot that will eventually interconnect with the Wardex pursuit, Kansas City meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) exhibits an uncanny and, to her astonishment, unexpected ability to speak multiple languages, including something reminiscent of the clicks of the indigenous South African Xhosa (Khoisan) language. Only Daniel understands it as, in English, “Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know.” In yet another enigmatic subplot, Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo) interacts remotely with the major characters while directing a group of Wardex whistleblowers as they construct a mysterious (later explained) building in a warehouse. After this complex but always intelligible introduction, the chases, confrontations, twists and turns of intersecting plots take off, not revealed here because it’s just too much fun to ride the roller coaster of action.
Faithful to his regular crew, John Williams’ composed the music—at times a bit bombastic (as usual), at other times, quietly and elegantly spot on. Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński composes with precision: wide shots provide perspective, close-ups add powerful emotional reactions, and the alternation perfectly reveals details when and as needed. Adding technical expertise, editor Sarah Broshar paces scenes with a flawless flow, slowing down for dialogue scenes, rapidly cutting for skirmishes and physical conflict. But, of course, the effect would be diminished were the performances not superb. They are. In fact, the entire ensemble meshes and plays off each other with masterful ease. In a particularly savvy decision, the characters often lack full knowledge of what they know, how they know it, and what it means, an engaging feature akin to the captivating hook in the Jason Bourne trilogy with Bourne’s search for knowledge of his elusive identity. As Daniel, Josh O’Connor is both, alternately, clueless and determined. With one of the most malleable faces in films today, he projects both qualities extremely well, as does Emily Blunt as Margaret. For her part, Jane, Eve Hewson (Bono’s daughter) merges her full support with terrifying threats to Daniel, while Colin Firth is thoroughly, philosophically evil but also physically vulnerable, another notable complexity. As Hugo, Coman Domingo lends a gravitas to the proceedings. Working together, they present a master class in acting.
In interviews Spielberg says that in 2023 he sat down and wrote a 50-page, single spaced script on his iPad, with a screenplay written by David Koepp. Integrating multiple subplots, the story is dense, clear, and, at moments, humorous, nicely relieving tension. Of particular note, Spielberg and Koepp trust their content to compel viewers’ interest without reliance on sex scenes (so arbitrarily inserted in lesser directors’ films) and without the pervasive crude language that, again, films without good writers idiotically rely on hoping to generate appeal. These professionals champion drama and confidently anticipate complete involvement with their imaginative narrative. The two hours 25 minute running time has become de rigueur these days, often testing patience. In this instance, the time speeds by. After the last word is spoken, many of us will want a sequel that, for a change, is warranted and desired. “Disclosure Day” is at area cinemas now.