The Fear Of Truth (Disclosure Day review)

 

Steven Spielberg is posing the question not of whether we are alone in the universe, but rather of whether we know we aren't. Disclosure Day is Spielberg's return to the sci-fi genre, with a top-billed cast meant to be seen on the big screen. With the intentionally mysterious marketing, it was at times both hard and easy to tell what the plot was aiming for. The main question was which perspective it intended to illuminate, especially in historical cases dismissed as mere conspiracy theories. 

Without giving too much away, the film revolves around Josh O'Connor and Emily Blunt's characters, (as well as I think everyone's characters, from the likes of Colin Firth, Eve Hewston and Colman Domingo) caught in a race to reveal a specific truth, sparking a debate of withholding the truth to avoid mass public, or considering the inherent fear of admitting the truth, whatever that may be, in themselves. In the wake of it, creating a plot that questions, and to some extent threatens, self-acknowledges, and confronts faith, belief, and one's personal reality. 

This is not the 'blockbuster' you expected. Although even if Spielberg attempts pretty heavy themes in this alien story, there are elements that make this very much what he, as a director, is known for, from his camera work, to working with longtime collaborator and screenwriter and composer, David Koepp, and John Williams, to flesh out the film. You are exposed to the wonder and fear he is so fond of, reminiscent of works like Jurassic Park and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, while focusing on character-driven storylines that are affected by the larger-than-life consequences of those respective plots. 

The attempt does go further in showing how much this collaboration has grown with this new story, but is it a story that should be told? Personally, Disclosure Day makes several bold statements towards conspiracy theorists, religion, and even life itself. Despite not having many clear answers, even if that may not please the moviegoers who will be on the edge of their seats throughout the 2 and a half hours, it leaves things open-ended because there isn't a clear answer to most of anything, especially in the question of life beyond ours. It can be thought-provoking or downright offensive, depending on where you stand with the statements, and that might set the trajectory of opinions towards this film in a direction that can leave room for misinterpretation, a quality I've been seeing fairly often with a lot of the recent films that have made their mark on the box office. But that is the magic of storytelling, right? Once it's out there, intentions no longer matter.  

However, on the journey from Act 1 to Act 3, we are treated to great visuals. These interconnecting storylines leave you wanting to know what happens in one when they switch to another, and then it does the same as it moves on to the next, something I have not experienced in a movie or TV show before. And these perspectives are only heightened by the acting presented here. 

I am glad that Josh O'Connor is being recognized beyond his indie roots and is being considered for critical roles. He does a phenomenal job as Danny, the man who initiates the conflict, and it very much seems like a dual hand between him and Emily Blunt. But Blunt is the real protagonist here, facing her own very visceral reaction towards the knowledge she is coming to terms with in her character arc. It might be unbelievable to say that this might be her best acting thus far. Colin Firth is very much the main antagonist here, something I don't think many are very used to seeing, and even if there are some plot holes within his motivations and actions, he does a good job of being menacing. I would like to shout out Hewston for her contributions to the plot, which pose a different struggle within the conflict and add a layer to the debate, speaking to a specific perspective. 

Even with a number of distinct perspectives in the film, there still aren't enough, as it focuses on the ramifications of this knowledge through only a Western lens. This might be what sets the film back, raising the question of whether it makes one reminisce about the glory days in Spielberg's filmography, and whether it fits into a story that should be, or would be, appreciated by a modern audience, despite the risks taken in the script.  

Disclosure Day tackles the fear of truth in all its facets. Facets that might be comprehensibly contained within Spielberg and Koepp's understanding, that is. They tackle this through a specific sci-fi territory, with empathy for a perspective that I think most audience members will roll their eyes at. It can also spark speculation about the kinds of people Spielberg and Koepp are, the stories they want to tell, and how they are viewed as filmmakers going forward. But that does not stop me from saying that this was a great film, and although not the best, it is at least one of the better Spielberg films.