The Report

THE REPORT - Amazon Studios

The Report sees Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver) tasked by his boss to lead an investigation into the CIA’s post-9/11 ‘Detention & Interrogation Program’, where he uncovers shocking secrets. The Report keeps the audience well informed and engaged throughout its running time. Being primarily dialogue centric, paying attention to the details is all but a necessary factor but thankfully, due to the premise and performances, director Scott Z. Burns' film is anything but a meandering bore.

Granted, there are specific sequences that are formed with far too much exposition and due to the structure of the film, it falls into the dangerous category of being overly repetitive and never evolving. It would be understandable if people do lose track of the various situations and names mentioned throughout. To maintain a steady pace with exposition and depth, the film utilises flashbacks, which are executed notably well. The colour-grading and aesthetic implemented differentiates them from the current story playing out so that the viewer never gets confused of when and where each scene is set.

Said flashback scenes add a great deal of context and information to an already detailed plot and do not shy away from the horrific and brutal torture interrogation techniques that were carried out. The frantic editing and handheld camerawork help add authenticity and grittiness to these intense moments. The film is shot well by cinematographer Eigil Bryld but there is nothing remarkable or unique about it from a visual standpoint. It should be noticed, however, that the film shoots on real locations, going for immersive realism over fabricated stylistic choices.

The cast and performances are strong. Driver is excellent as Jones, a character wholly dedicated and invested in his job. With his character beginning to craft this Report, we see him become more and more obsessed and drastic in his actions — something very engaging and tremendously performed. Annette Benning puts forward a sharp turn as Senator Feinstein. Benning has a commanding screen presence and whenever her character speaks on screen, the film stops both contextually and literally to listen to her gravitas. Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall and Tim Blake Nelson are also round out a solid main supporting cast but feel like extra pieces to an already solid puzzle. Nevertheless, aside from the cast, there is nothing to help The Report stand out against other films within the genre, such as Zero Dark Thirty, from a purely visual perspective.

The Report is a solid political thriller with an interesting plot and some excellent performances. However, it does have its minor faults with some over-indulgent exposition and long sections of heavy dialogue partnered with slow-burn pacing.

The Report is released November 15th, 2019