Review 535: The Report

The poster for The Report originally reads "The Torture Report" but the word "Torture" appears to have been redacted. Presumably because the original report was going to be censored. Which it thankfully wasn't and paves way for one of the most important films of the year.

Senate staffer Daniel Jones (Adam Driver) is assigned the daunting task of leading an investigation into the C.I.A's Detention and Interrogation Program. After analysing extensive evidence, he learns about the "enhanced interrogation techniques"- proven to be brutal, immoral and ineffective - that the C.I.A adopted after 9/11. When Jones and the Senate Intelligence Committee attempt to release the results from his investigation however, the C.I.A and the White House go to great lengths to prevent the truth from getting out.

The plot (written by the films director Scott Z. Burns) is a gripping, suspenseful and thoughtful examination of post 9/11. It shows, very pointedly, that following 9/11, the C.I.A used a range of "interrogation methods" to try to get information from terrorists under the misguided belief that they were protecting the U.S. from "people who want to destroy everything we believe in" and that they in fact weren't any good. They tended to produced information that already existed or was unreliable as well as untrue. This is especially well conveyed with the torture scenes, all of which are disturibing, unsettling and treated with the denunciation required (the film even at one point calls out the award winning Zero Dark Thirty for feeding this misinformation).

According to Burns, he was motivated to make this film because both of his parents were psychologists and that he found it "appalling" to learn from the report that people had figured out a way to weaponise psychology which is a profession that typically exists to help people.
This bit of information as an idea is frightening enough but to bring it front and centre in a drama film is both bold and daring.

Writer/director Scott Z. Burns' direction is   the cinematography is beautiful, the scenery is stunning, the costumes are fantastic, the score by David Wingo is terrific, the production design is excellent, the lighting is excellent,

Adam Driver continues to prove he's one of the most engaging actors working today playing Daniel Jones. He was the person tasked with this investigation and we follow him as embarks on this inspection. He's given a hell of task and it one that many people hope fails; the odds are stacked against him. He knows that he's telling the truth and yet he's met with all this resistance. Driver expertly captures Jones' determination and obsession to get this report into the public eye.

Anette Bening shows once again what a brilliant actress she is playing Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Jon Hamm is also very effective playing Denis McDonough.

Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Rhys, Scott Shepherd, Ben McKenzie, Dominic Fumusa, Corey Stoll, Michael C Hall, Douglas Hodge, Ted Levine, Sarah Goldberg and Maura Tierney round the films eclectic cast with

Caroline Krass was the attorney for the CIA and was spearheading some of the critical descisions that got made and she was a part of t

5/5.

The Anonymous Critic.