Direction: Scott Z. Burns
Country: USA
The Report is a politically-charged drama starring Adam Driver as Daniel Jones, an obsessive behind-the-scenes staffer working for Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening). He got known for leading a thorough investigation about the CIA’s use of torture as part of its ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ following the 9/11 attacks. This slow-burning film, written and directed by Scott Z. Burns (the writer behind Soderbergh’s Contagion, Side Effects, and The Informant!) and produced by Steven Soderbergh, was partially based on a Vanity Fair article by Katherine Eban published in 2007.
There are moments when the film feels like dissecting the nearly 7000 pages full of conspiracy that Jones wrote with his small team of investigators. Although the film is sufficiently informative, the ones looking for thrilling revelations and mystery may be defrauded by how Burns has put things on display. Throughout this long and mostly solitary journey, Jones is helped by informers, but fiercely opposed by CIA director John Brennan (Ted Levine), who tries to cover up the big mess his agency is responsible for.
Driver’s lean and tight performance is what keeps the story minimally fueled, even when the movie stalls at its most frustrating passivity. In truth, what the film lacks in cinematic flair it makes up for in the one man’s unshakable determination to find the truth. But is this enough to recommend it? Struggling with mixed feelings myself, I would say it all depends on your patience and penchant for filthy politics unfolded with lies, hypocrisy, and disloyalties.
