The Report REVIEW: Adam Driver and Annette Bening shine in a stark, dark docudrama

From the writer of The Bourne Ultimatum and Contagion, The Report focuses in on the stark facts unearthed by US Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones (played by Adam Driver) over the course of his six-year investigation into the CIA’s use of torture in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Working under the guidance of Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, Jones studied 6.3 million pages of documents, scrutinising CIA agents’ own official correspondence and memos regarding the use of “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques” and their use on suspected al-Qaeda operatives, in order to produce a nearly 7000-page report on his findings.

What The Report sees is little more than Jones’ work and the tense back and forth between the Senate, the White House and the CIA as the key players at the top of the agencies’ various rungs try either to detangle the web, balance political motivations or quash the most unflattering, potentially incriminating revelations.

The first half of the film passes by in a blur, cutting discomfortingly from staid, subtle depictions of the to and fro within and between the agencies to shocking scenes of torture.

Before long, the harrowing portrayals become too much — way too much — and it’s hard to know whether staying until the end is even bearable.

But this seems fitting: as a comfortable movie-goer confronted with something too graphic, too intense, too violent, the comparison to the actual experiences of those represented on screen is unavoidable.

Nonetheless, it’s a fine line to tread and a brave decision on the part of Burns to push audiences as far as he does.

Relief comes just in time — around the halfway mark — when the concentration of flashbacks to the CIA agents’ torture of detainees finally subside.

Throughout the film, it’s impossible to go more than a few minutes without the fact what’s on screen is based on real events hitting home, again and again. Each time, the realisation is more nauseating than the last.

When it comes to the cast, The Report sees Driver at his most understated, deftly handling a character whose personality is largely reserved, unobtrusive.

However, while it’s a rare taste of Driver muting his natural tendency to stand out, compressing it into a nuanced performance which flies under the radar without being unremarkable, his portrayal of Jones breaks through when the situation calls for it.

At moments, as he soldiers unwaveringly on in an uphill battle against political allegiances, frustration and righteousness bubbles over, prompting an incredible switch in Driver’s acting, showcasing explosive passion tempered only by intellect.

Even when he’s pushed to the edge, the Star Wars actor shows Jones maintaining his level-headedness.

As his emotions get the better of them, Jones pins every argument on a view of justice only obtained by those with the ability to take a step back for a perspective most are incapable of comprehending from on the inside of the situation.

DON’T MISS…

Star Wars: Are Kylo Ren and Rey dating? SHOCK fan theory [THEORY]

Star Wars 9: Kylo Ren REDEMPTION foreshadowed by THIS scene? [ANALYSIS]

Star Wars 9: Adam Driver reveals biggest Kylo Ren SHOCK about the set [INTERVIEW]

These instances show Driver drawing on the power his physical presence and delivery afford him, breaking free of the quiet restraint which is so carefully practised it feels innate.

While Jones is the hero, Feinstein, or rather Bening, is the star of the show which includes stars likes Corey Still, Jon Hamm and Michael C. Hall.

Calculated and impenetrably professional, she strikes the balance between unemotional and an obviously empathic character processing the horrors of the Jones’ discoveries for the first time.

The legendary actress is a powerhouse of a Senator, calmly fighting the good fight to beat or circumnavigate opposition as the works tirelessly (though not as tirelessly as Jones) to get the report made public.

The Report breaks down the bureaucracy and counterterrorism jargon just enough that it’s digestible for the average person but not so much that it’s noticeably dumbing itself down.

Source link