It takes talent to keep an audience’s attention for two hours telling the of researching for an over 6,700 page report, and Scott Z. Burns once again shares with the world his talent for fact based docudramas in “The Report”.
This is the story of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation into the CIA’s use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” following the September 11th attacks. Told mostly from the perspective of what staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver) went through and found in his multi-year project that took over his life, this story had me feeling the shock, disgust, and frustration right along with him. Annette Bening is here as well, playing Senator Diane Feinstein, who wants the truth to come out and has to play the political game to make it happen. The supporting cast is also filled with known names like Ted Lavine, Michael C. Hall, Tim Blake Nelson, Corey Stoll, Maura Tierney, and Jon Hamm all do their part to make this story that much more fascinating as it unfolds. All of them bring their A-game in bringing to screen names that are known by the masses.
Add in the filming style, the lighting, and the costuming, all the parts that give the feel to when and where, were spot on for the spread of years that this film covers. “The Report” is one of those films that will stick with me for a long time while I process all the emotions.