On the brink of additional political turmoil and strife in
2019, it seems oddly fitting to revisit the misguided decisions of past
administrations with The Report. Like most other political dramas about
the release or suppression of a scathing document, everything is by the book
and fact-forward, a make it or break it move for most people’s viewing
experience. In this case, it only helps the frustrating and insightful
experience of the entire film.
FBI agent Daniel Jones (Adam Driver) performs an exhaustive
investigation into the CIA's use of torture on suspected terrorists. In the
aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the CIA adopted new interrogation techniques.
When dealing with a subject matter as serious as the material
in The Report, a steady hand is not only advisable, but a necessity.
There is nothing flashy about the film, it presents the facts, at least what
one can include in a Hollywood production of the facts, and lets the audience
stew in the implications of it all. Director and writer Scott Z. Burns won’t
get a lot of praise for what is ultimately a pretty dry affair, but his
restraint from going too big is commendable at the very least.
In its very scripted and structured way, The Report does
feels like essential viewing for Americans who lived through or grew up during
the early 2000s. It jumps from year to year, laying out a picture of a system
hellbent on getting information with methods that didn’t work, and lying about
it all. There is only so much one can get to in two hours, but The Report feels
like a stepping stone to more people learning about or looking into EITs and
the Torture Report itself.
Without a doubt the best aspect of the whole film though
remains the performances from the constants from beginning to end. Adam Driver,
who is having himself a fantastic year, brings the stoic, driven Daniel Jones
to life, providing some valuable insight into a person striving to hold people
accountable when very few do. And Annette Bening, playing the seasoned senator
Dianne Feinstein, the head of this whole investigation, struggling to play the
political game and reveal the truth to the world at the same time. Both
performances are very precise and calculated, but again, it’s what the film
requires and it works.
The Report is not going to amaze anyone by its craft
or its storytelling. It’s unlikely to top the best of the year lists that are
coming or get nominated for awards when the time comes (I still find it
unlikely that Bening gets into a competitive supporting actress field). But
what it does, it does well, and because of that, so many will find this film in
theaters or on Amazon later this month and look into the history and the story
behind it all.
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