The Mosley Review: Disclosure Day
One of the biggest questions that I've asked throughout my life is what would the world do if all evidence of alien life forms were ever released to the public and how would we react? Well, a number of films, television shows and even YouTube videos are dedicated to that answer and I've come up with my own over the years. Do I believe they're real? Yes. Do I believe their among us? Absolutely! What I believe the public would do is simple. Alot of us would be curious and want to know everything and the other half would be so fearful of change. Not of the environment or what it would do to our economy, but what it would do the devout religions of the world. If there's one filmmaker that has been at the forefront of this belief and not afraid to explore those themes, its Steven Spielberg. He’s the only director, to my knowledge, that has given us almost all the different variations of human responses to the idea of aliens. All range from the perspective of wonder through a child’s eyes to the curiosity of an archeologist and to the protective nature of a father. This time around, we have the rebellious nature of a few ex-government employees wanting to disclose everything and I have to say that is was thrilling for the most part. I loved that the story didn't shy away from questioning humanities faith in God and the overall theme of having control. Where I think the film sort of falls apart though is when all the reveals begin and even though its the most interesting part, I think less would've been more here.
Josh O'Connor was great as the brave and charismatic, Dr. Daniel Kellner. He was dedicated to the mission of disclosure and I loved that he cared for the people he works with. He may have been reckless, but his heart is what kept him going. Josh is really great at showing sincerity with only his eyes. He brings to life the disturbing weight of knowledge in one particular scene and I loved his reactions. Eve Hewson was great as Daniel's girlfriend, Jane Blankenship. As former woman of the cloth, her backstory perfectly highlighted the questions on faith and what it could do to a person. Her chemistry with Josh was good and she really gets put through the ringer a bit in the film. There is a decision that should've been made sooner with her character that happens way too late as it was the basis of Daniel's recklessness and frankly stupidity. Colman Domingo is always great and as the leader of the disclosure team, Hugo Wakefield, there was such an aura of earnesty and warmth to the character as he finds the excitement of the event approaching intoxicating. He never used Daniel or anyone else on his team as a sacrifice and treated them like equals. Colin Firth was cool as the main antagonist and the head of the Wardex corporation, Noah Scanlon. He represented the somewhat oppressive and suppressive nature of the government. You come to understand why he wants to keep the truth a secret because of the ramifications of it all. He also had a creepy tone to him as he would use the alien tech to infiltrate and track Daniel in a brilliant scene between him and Jane. He wasn't as menacing or violent as he could've been and there in lies the problem with his character. I wanted more of something to be afraid of instead of intrigued. Now the real star of the film was undoubtedly Emily Blunt as Margaret Fairchild. The transition from her regular day to odd things happening to her was so seamless that it was perfectly jarring as you realize she's changing. The emotional and psychological toll it takes on her was very engaging and powerful during the second half of the film. Emily has an ability to bring out the most haunting and stressful part of the human condition while conveying the beauty of vulnerability. She does that here and by far, this was one of her best performances to date.
Spielberg's long time friend, collaborator and legendary composer John Williams delivers yet again a masterful work of tension and wonder. The emotional core of the film is brought to life by Emily's performance, but John's score cements it all as his ability to make any story musically soar was on display. The cinematography and shot compositions were all fabulous as Spielberg delivers his classic technique of completely using the environment to showcase movement, drama and his trademark style of action. The car chase sequence and train sequence all show that he hasn't lost his touch when delivering practical action that's seamlessly mixed with CGI to enhance but not overtake. Where I think this film differs from his more memorable alien films, is that there really wasn't anything truly to grasp on to. The thrilling plot of getting information to the masses was fun but I felt this film was more about the "what if?" aspect instead keeping it grounded. The mcguffin devices were too convenient at times and honestly underpowered for the amount "danger" the story wants us to feel if they’re miss used. Overall, I did like it, but I really wanted to love it. Its just the last half that really felt undercooked and maybe too long that made the film miss the landing in my opinion. Let me know what you thought of the film of my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
