Spielberg. A name that at the mere mention of it illicits some feeling of emotion. From the oldest to the youngest of audiences, Spielberg’s films have become transgenerational. When ‘Disclosure Day’ was announced, it was afforded that same luxury while being incredibly coy about any information about the plot of the film.
Ok.
No Problem.
It’s Spielberg.
Unfortunately, ‘Disclosure Day’ and it’s reliance on secrecy have delivered a film that feels at times like the audience is cramming for a test they didn’t know they were taking, coming off more like the sequel to a film someone forget to make. The flare and sparkle of Spielberg is still there, but the film lacks the substance of his prior work. ‘Disclosure Day’ is a fast paced science fiction, action adventure that get’s in it’s own way in an attempt to be clever.
Sequel to Nothing
‘Disclosure Day’ relies heavily on the fact that the audience has absolutely no idea what the film is about. As a plot device, it’s rather clever. In practice, however, it was poorly executed. The film presents as if it’s the sequel to a film that has yet to be made. ‘Disclosure Day’ begins mid-action, dropping the audience off at a specific point with zero knowledge of prior events. Spielberg then slowly pulls back the veil, revealing the master to plan at hand. Unfortunately, audiences may have tuned out by the time the full picture is seen.
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The issue, however, isn’t the plot device, itself, but the manner in which it was executed. There is so much action going on that at times it’s hard to keep up with where we are in the plot and overall story. I found myself constantly having to play catch up and missing pivotal events. That is part of the assumed risk when a film like this is made. The filmmaker relies on the audiences ability to keep up which also creates a reliance on pacing. Spielberg is a master of pacing, but you wouldn’t know it from ‘Disclosure Day.’
The Spielberg Effect
While the plot device was lacking, ‘Disclosure Day,’ at it’s core, is pure Spielberg. It has all of the trademarks that have made his film so endearing to fans worldwide for decades. Part of the skill of Spielberg is his ability to extract iconic performances from his cast.
Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor are sensational. They each bring something unique, frantic, and erratic to their characters that not only makes them layered, but also makes them classically likeable Spielberg characters. Colin Firth and Colman Domingo provide acting clinics that will take audience’s breath away. The two minutes these two icons are on screen together feels like watching the Mona Lisa be painted. It was art and beauty.
Where the Spielberg Effect will be most apparent isn’t in the now, it’s in the future. ‘Disclosure Day’ will most certainly be a film that is studied in film classes, but more importantly, it’s unique approach will ABSOLUTELY inspire the next great filmmaker. That is the true beauty of Spielberg. He’s a teacher, providing audiences and future filmmakers with the blueprint to film the next great classic.
Final Thoughts:
At it’s core, ‘Disclosure Day’ is a classic Spielberg film. When the camera pulls back, however, it becomes clear that the film has all of the hallmarks of the classics, but lacks their substance. Rocketing from set piece to set, ‘Disclosure Day’ provides an action packed, yet confusing two hours. Leaving audiences with more questions than answers.
