The Report stars Adam Driver as Daniel J. Jones, a Senate staffer who’s assigned to lead an investigation into the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes in 2005. He begins to uncover that in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the CIA may have been using tactics such as torture to gain information from suspects, abusing their powers in the process. As Daniel and his team try piecing the puzzle together, he soon finds himself being blocked by higher powers from getting the truth out.
The film is written and directed by Scott Z. Burns, known for his frequent collaborations with Steven Soderbergh, with claustrophobic dramas such as Contagion and Side Effects, as well as the real-life story The Informant! This film finds Burns combining the two, trying to tell another story based in reality with a high-tension, closed-in feel to it. However, whereas his collaborations with Soderbergh crank up the intensity and convey high levels of either suspense or entertainment, this effort both writing and directing doesn’t pack as much of a punch as it should have.
It’s certainly an interesting story, especially given how recently the events occurred, and how it’s still fresh in many viewers’ minds. In a post-9/11 world, the tactics used by the government as a response were some of the most controversial aspects of the investigation, as it divided many in the country. So there will be a level of interest by many to seeing what potentially led to controversial tactics being employed, and the response from those who tried to prevent such things from happening again.
However, there’s a lot going in this movie, and that winds up being one of its biggest flaws. It’s extremely exposition-heavy, filled with a lot of dense political jargon. There are plenty of scenes of characters sitting around, discussing something that may have happened. And while the conversations can sometimes be intense, especially as two characters debate the morality of the tactics employed by the government, sometimes the back-and-forths can throw people off.
Characters will reference a detail-heavy procedure, or reference some other branch of the government, and it requires the viewers to keep track of many key players and places. It often feels like it’s a series of “blink-and-you-miss-it” moments. If someone’s not paying attention for a moment, it tends to derail the rest of the viewing experience. Luckily this is available on streaming, as it requires a lot of backtracking to keep up, and if one were watching it in the theaters, it’s easy to get lost.
And because of how conversation-heavy it is, there’s really a lack of solid character development. This contains a stacked cast with a lot of major players, with the likes of Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Maura Tierney, Michael C. Hall, and plenty others showing up in major supporting roles. And while it’s great to see so many talented actors on screen, with some of their speeches being engaging to watch, it’s mainly because of the actors’ performances, rather than an actual investment in the character themselves.
The only one who really has any personal stake in the whole situation is Adam Driver, whose performance is great and is one of the best aspects of the film. Though he too is even guilty of getting bogged down in long-winded exposition as he goes on a wild goose chase trying to peel the layers back of this major cover-up. But while’s the most dominant force in the movie, he’s never really explored as a unique character until the film decides to focus on the backlash he receives halfway through for leading this investigation. Beyond that, many characters serve essentially as mouthpieces to explain a process or procedure, rather than do anything truly compelling.
The Report is interesting for its subject matter that will resonate well with its viewers but that’s about it. It presents its audience with information, but once that information is received, there really doesn’t feel like much of a need to revisit the story. There are plenty of characters and great actors, all of whom are great to watch. Yet, despite some clear effort from both them and Burns, the characters aren’t exactly the most unique, and it causes this movie to not really stand up beyond checking out once or so.
Recommendation: Proceed With Caution
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