The Motion Picture Podcast
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The Motion Picture Podcast
Disclosure Day (Movie Review)
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Luke and Jackson review "Disclosure Day", written by David Koepp and directed by Steven Spielberg .
Is this thing on? Is this thing on? Hey guys, welcome back to the motion picture podcast. My name is Jackson. I'm here with my friend Luke. Today we are reviewing the new uh Steven Spielberg film Disclosure Day. Disclosure Day has the tagline, We Deserve to Know. It's about a cybersecurity expert that becomes a whistleblower to reveal secrets about aliens. This puts him on the run from a corporation while a meteorologist experiences strange phenomena and joins forces with him to prove there's life beyond our knowledge. It was written by David Kepp. It stars Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, and Colin Firth. Luke, what was your initial reaction to this movie?
SPEAKER_03Definitely not what I expected. I think initially I expected, you know, seeing the trailer, if you haven't seen the trailer, I'd watch the trailer before seeing the movie, maybe stop before the last like 10 seconds of the trailer. But essentially I thought it was gonna be more like, and I think you had said this, more like the aftermath of disclosure day, of a disclosure day. So I thought it was gonna be a lot more dramatic, like the film uh 2012, um, similar to kind of those end-of-the-earth type of movies, rather than the build-up to a disclosure. And we'll talk about this more later in the podcast episode, uh, but really felt like it was an attempt to make a very Spielbergy movie and explore a theme rather than tell a story. So, because of that, felt very flawed in the writing.
SPEAKER_01I'd agree with that. My initial take on this movie is it felt very mediocre and it felt like it kind of let down the initial idea, the initial premise of the movie. It felt like it was trying to back into that premise, and it just didn't work for me, to be honest.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and and to give it to Spielberg and the people creating the film, the premise is a great premise. I don't know if there's a lot of other movies that are trying to explore the actual process or build up to the disclosure or how something's disclosed or the challenges, but it didn't feel like they really painted that story very well, and we're really trying to explore a variety of themes rather than really get the fundamentals of a story right.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. So we've talked about story a little bit. Tell me what you thought about the acting. How do you feel like the actors performed in this film?
SPEAKER_03I think Josh O'Connor's character, and I don't know if it was the writing they gave him, if it was just overly expositional. I didn't really think he did, I don't think he did a great job. Maybe it was just the writing that they gave him. Um it felt like he was just explaining everything to the audience, which is not really his fault, but it was like overly, overly done a little bit in a lot of ways, similar to like a Netflix movie. I thought Emily Blunt, for all like the dramaticism she brings to this role, which is very dramatic, I think very emotional a lot of ways, yeah, sometimes unnecessary. I felt like she did well. Yeah, she is a wide range, yeah, sometimes a little overdone. Don't know if that was just the direction given to her. Yeah, she's a little quirky, yeah. Yeah, what do you think about Colin Firth? I always like Colin Firth. I just don't think I like the character. Um I think you had said it definitely quintessential villain, yeah, corporate villain.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we we saw this movie yesterday, and I was kind of telling Luke, I'm not a big fan of the antagonist being some shady corporation. Kind of feels lazy, it's very overdone. So that was definitely what occurred in this movie.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, he was definitely, you know, beyond that, he was a little bit of a gooner. You know, there was a scene, and I'll just, you know, jump to it. He uh essentially has a device, an alien device that's too led to disclose there are spoilers moving forward.
SPEAKER_01Sorry for the sudden notification of this, but we are moving into spoiler territory. Figured I'd disclose that. Thank you. If you haven't seen the movie, go watch it. But we are moving into spoilers, thank you.
SPEAKER_03Thank you, Jackson. Yeah, I'm I'm forgetful on that. No, it's okay. Um, but yeah, so his character essentially has a device, an alien device that's lets him possess certain people who don't have the ability to block it, but possess them and see where they're at. They go through a few rounds of this and then they do this quick one where he comes out of the essentially possession or trance and he's like, I got him. But it's you know, it's a little funny of a scene, and it's hard to take him seriously. I don't know if his character was trying to be more serious, but definitely wasn't.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, bro woke up in the goon chair for sure. Yeah, that was pretty funny. Um, I I kind of agree with you on most of those points. I I like Josh O'Connor a lot. I don't know if you've seen um Dead Man Wake Up, the knives out movie.
SPEAKER_03I saw like the first half.
SPEAKER_01Okay, he's really good in that movie, and so he's proven he's a really good actor. I just don't think he was given a ton to work with with this character. I think that Spielberg could have played him more up as kind of a more paranoid character since he is a whistleblower on the run from the corporation, whatever that was. Yeah. So I feel like they could have done that. His character was a little stale for me. And on the opposite end, I do feel like Emily Blunt's a fantastic fantastic actress, but I do think she overplayed her character a little bit. She has a lot of range. I think she she was a TV personality, so it makes sense why her character was so emotive. I just feel like it was a little overdone. Um, and then I actually love Colin Firth in this movie, even though I hate the villain archetype I that he played in. I I liked his little British accent. Um, I thought it was fun. He he played a pretty good villain for me. Um British. Oh, I I think he is British. Oh I just liked his accent. Okay, anyway, uh moving on to the visuals. Um, what did you think of the visuals? Lens flares, lots of lens flares.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, definitely whimsical. It felt like Spielberg's classic throwback Spielberg ET, throwback close encounters, throwback Jurassic Park. I saw a quote about you know them trying to add realism and a natural tone to this movie. It didn't really feel like that. There were instances where it felt like a Netflix movie, and I don't know if that was them trying to give a natural tone, but most of the movie was very whimsical, you know, fantastical. That's a word.
SPEAKER_01I agree. I agree. I thought that the movie looked really bland, to be honest. I was not impressed with the cinematography or the color palette or the framing. There were maybe a couple shots that I thought were pretty cool. But overall, I was kind of let down a little bit by the visual language of this movie.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, there was that one goofy shot where they essentially they were driving away from the corporate goons from the safe house, and they came up to the cliff, and then they drove the car off the cliff with a rock on the accelerator and then hid behind a rock. Yeah. But the way they framed it, they were like the rock was like a foot away from the goons. And it was it was like a Netflix movie, like the goons are just idiots.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, that framing was weird, and the depth of field was all inclusive, so it looked ri it it just felt and looked really strange. I'm not sure what that was about.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But anyway, moving on. Uh, soundtrack done by John Williams. What'd you think? I thought it was well done.
SPEAKER_03I think it it was generally I don't think it stood out necessarily.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he played it safe.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but I think it, you know, definitely didn't detract from the movie.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, nonetheless, it was a John Williams score, and it takes you back to those older movies, and I think that added a lot of the value of into the movie of feeling like an ET movie.
SPEAKER_03I'd agree, and I maybe I take it back too. I think I did, you know, when some of the music played, I did feel like think back to my childhood um through some of the music, and that's kind of what it reminded me of. So I think there was some elements there that he definitely played into.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. Did you enjoy the movie overall?
SPEAKER_02I'd say 50-50.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I think the the lack of you know, a cohesive plot or a cohesive ending a little unenjoyable. But what about you?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, not to get too into it right right yet. I I thought it was mediocre. Um, I thought it was interesting enough to keep me entertained, but I wouldn't say I walked away being blown away or had any catharsis at the end um where I was just speechless, you know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and and speaking of the end, uh and throughout the movie, the characters never really have I mean, they do get challenged as a protagonist, um, but they never get challenged to the point where there's maybe one or two times where you're on the edge of your seat for them. Um, but like even the very end, Emily Blunt's character pretty much just easily foils the corporate goons plot to stop the power um by using the alien device to bring the power back on. And it felt like there was very little reward system there. Yeah, you know, very little tension. Even Colin Firth's character kind of just gave up. Whether it was because Emily Blunt made him see his dead wife again. Yeah, I don't really know.
SPEAKER_01But or he was jealous she got to do an American accent. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03He was tired of that archetype.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So that was would you say that was probably the main thing that didn't work for you? Was just there was no payoff for the main characters.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it seemed too easy. I don't know his name, but it was essentially their guy in the chair. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um it it felt like he knew everything, and he just yeah, Hugo, Hugo, he knew everything and he essentially guided them through each step. And it was just, you know, it felt a little it's lazy, lazy, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's lazy. I I agree completely. It felt I think we mentioned this earlier, it felt like he was trying to back into a story, and there just really was no emotional payoff for these characters to me. But enough of just kind of hating on the film. There clearly were great things about the film that I enjoyed. I'm sure there's something you enjoyed. What do you think worked best for this film?
SPEAKER_03I think the feeling of the film. I think the um sentimental feeling of Spielberg films, that whimsical feeling. I know we mention it and maybe probably over mention it, but it did, you know, bring you back to your childhood. It brought, you know, it brings you back whether it's the sound, the John Williams sound, yeah. Um, whether it's even the lens flares, yeah, whether it's some of those, you know, more whimsical feeling. And I think there was kind of a a scene that was kind of like the North Pole where it was that house in the woods. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very much, you know, some could say poor animation.
SPEAKER_01Oh gosh, yeah. Yeah. Don't get us starting on the CGI.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, what what'd you think about that CGI?
SPEAKER_01Oh gosh, dude. I I've said this a million times. Don't ever do CGI animals, it never looks right. I will say Paddington did it best. The Paddington Bear looks incredible. You no one has ever done CGI that well. Paddington 2 is one of the best movies. What about Yogi Bear? You're right. Yogi Bear is pretty good. Yeah, Yogi Bear is pretty good. But no, the CGI in this movie was really bad. I don't know if it was rush production or Spielbear just doesn't really care anymore, but it it looked pretty bad. And there are a bunch of CGI animals in this, they were kind of essential to the plot for the characters. And every time I saw one, goofy a cardinal fly in, I was just like, dude, I I hate CGI animals.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and it's not like there were that many animals in the movie, like they and they didn't really have a variety of, so they could have used the same 3D models. Yeah, it felt like they were just cutting corners for no reason, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Or like even bring in like a puppet or something, a puppet would look better. I've seen animal puppets that are pretty decent. Yeah, bring back Yoda, bring back Yoda, bring back Chewbacca, bro. Like, why don't we got Chewbacca anymore? Um, anyway, not to derail the conversation.
SPEAKER_03But Jackson, what was something you liked about the movie?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, um, I actually really enjoyed the actual disclosure moment when they're playing the footage in NBC, is kind of providing commentary over the footage. And that actress actually did a pretty good job. She has some goofy lines that they kind of did her dirty with the NBC anchor, but overall, that scene was really good and really well played because it was showing people across the world tuning into this event and kind of just glued to their phones, like the world kind of stopped for a moment, and everyone was kind of horrified to see the things they were revealing. And it was just I love kind of that found footage stuff, yeah. And it was cool to see like the video of Nixon and the alien and just them undercovering, like a UFO and like the aliens that walk in the tent, and that alien that was kind of crashed out. That part of it was funny. That was good. That was probably my favorite part of the movie.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that that definitely was probably one of the more emotionally evoking pieces of the film, dude.
SPEAKER_01That would have been a killer opening.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01They I really think they should have done this movie in reverse and just had the disclosure and then the fallout from that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02It it would have been a killer opening.
SPEAKER_03What did you think about um the aliens? And how would you rank them compared to other aliens in other movies?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm kind of a sucker for the little green guy, like the classic, yeah. Um, so I liked them. I don't know, they're they're just gonna be goofy. Like I've just accepted that and kind of roll with it. Um, I rank those guys pretty high on the skill for me. They're probably a top five alien. And he he didn't like do anything special with the alien, it's literally like the green guy with the big eyes, yeah, except they're gray in this movie. But I'd probably put up there. E.T. is my favorite alien design, I think. I just he's all crusty and cute, but cute at the same time, and he has that little finger that lights up. Um, just classic. Yeah, um, you also got like the creepy alien and the alien franchise. He's a pretty good alien, uh, pretty scary. Um, and then you got like the Star Wars aliens classic. But I I think like the little green guy is my favorite. What about you?
SPEAKER_03I don't really know. I think I would have rather had a more realistic and I mean, we don't really know what realistic alien would be. Yeah, but it felt like a little goofy for me, considering I mean, half the movie felt whimsical, but also trying to reveal something serious. Yeah, and so it in my mind it detracted from that final scene, how goofy it was seeing that alien crashed out on the ground. Like it like I heard you angels laughed at.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that was us in Vegas for sure. Um, but I I yeah, I thought that was funny. I think what he should have done with that is maybe not fully show the aliens, but I feel like horror movies do this especially well, is the suspense. It's not about the actual thing, it's about the lead up to that. That's why Zodiac is such a good movie by David Fenture. Yeah, it's it doesn't really show a ton of like action or the actual killer, it does show him at points, but it's the build-up, it's the suspense, it's the thrill of not knowing what's next. And I think that is where this movie really shined, is whenever it was building up towards that and it was just building suspense, and you were scared for what it was about to reveal. So I think he should have played more into that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Do you think this movie should have been directed by somebody else besides Spielberg? Or do you think that Spielberg may have just missed it on his own?
SPEAKER_01I think he was the only one that could have directed this, in my opinion. Well, people other people could have directed it, but I think he was a great choice to direct this, and it was a great idea. I just don't think the plot was there for me.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01What about you? What do you think?
SPEAKER_03I think I would have rather the the feeling, and I understand the you know, the whimsical feeling, the sentimental, you know, the the themes of the movie. Yeah. I think I would have rather had it be more dramatic, suspenseful, almost like a thriller.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like someone like Martin Scorsese. Yeah, or like it turns into uh gangs of New York or something with aliens or goodfellas. It's just all Italian aliens. They're just all Italian mobster aliens. Yeah. Maybe that would be Scorsese's next film. Disclosure day two. They everyone's get just getting along with aliens. Disclosures of the Irishman.
SPEAKER_03Disclosure, disclosure of a mob boss. Yeah, I think somewhere in between James Cameron and Steele and Steelberg, alien. Somebody who can do that. Tarantino?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Murder aliens. Yeah, they'd just be racist aliens. Yeah. Um, what was this movie actually about, in your opinion? You know, you had the plot, but what thematically, what do you think it was trying to say?
SPEAKER_03I think there were two things that Spielberg was trying to say. I think there was one that was explicit and one that was a little more implicit. I think the the implicit one, and Spielberg's pretty open about you know his view of aliens, at least in the I think the publicity, I don't really know if in reality he actually believes in aliens, but it felt like he was trying to recreate. He definitely does. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01He's made like four movies about aliens. Now I'm including Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as an alien movie. It is which is really funny.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I don't know if he's successfully made an alien movie that's not goofy when the aliens come in. But you know, they're still successful movies. Yeah, yeah. But it felt like he was trying to recreate religion in some ways, and whether or not that actually drove the plot, I think is up, you know, is in question.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think he was prodding to see how people would feel if aliens were here.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and he he was open about that in a lot of the interviews. I think the other explicit thing, I think the explicit theme was empathy, yeah. Which felt like a stretch. Yeah. Because, you know, throughout the movie, you know, Hugo's character was like talking to Colin Firth's character when they're having essentially Hugo's character worked for Colin Firth's character, um, and then betrayed him to try to get the secrets out. And Colin Firth's character is like essentially questioning him, and Hugo was saying, like, the aliens have taught me, you know, the superpower, essentially, which is empathy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And in the end, and that was kind of part of that whimsical theme, but in the end, the alien um essentially said something when they just actually brought an alien on live TV. He said something in alien gibberish. I don't know if you know how to speak alien. Um, but I think they translated it and it was just like listen.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that beatbox was just listen.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that felt, you know, for an ending. It felt very dissatisfying. Yeah. Like, I don't know if it was a movie trying to teach the audience.
SPEAKER_01Well, uh, in my take, you know, all that stuff was happening in the background about World War Three. Yeah, I don't know if it was North Korea or Russia, whoever it was, they were um going to into conflict with the United States, and so that was how. Happening in the background, then you have this alien story in the foreground, and obviously, the foreground is more important because it's the story we're experiencing, it's a story that the filmmaker is telling us, but there's this looming threat in the background, and then he tries to bring them together at the end, and the foreground story stops the background story in its tracks, and then he he's wanting the foreground story to inform the characters and the entire world. Hey guys, it's not worth it. We need to just love each other instead. To me, I don't know, it just didn't work for me.
SPEAKER_03I think had it connected the dots a little better, it could have been done better. Yeah, it really didn't I don't think it started the film off very well with that. It was always in the foreground, it was never something that was a at least an essential part of the the beginning of the movie, like it didn't really drive the initial character, yeah, character's action. So there wasn't really a foreshadowing, it was just always in the background. So you're like, you know, if I was listening closely or if I was really paying attention, you know, this would have made sense.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I whenever he said or Emily Blunt repeated listen on television, I was kind of waiting for her to say something else, and then the credits rolled. I just kind of sat there and I was waiting for maybe more, but nothing that was interesting. That was an interesting choice to end it like that. Yeah. That that was the alien's loan message for us. Um, so what is your hottest take on this movie?
SPEAKER_03I don't know if it's a hot take, but I think he's living in the 80s in alien movies. That felt like an 80s movie.
SPEAKER_02You know, Back to the Future, Indiana Jones.
SPEAKER_03It felt and there's room for whimsical movies, um, but it it didn't feel like a current movie that an audience can relate to. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I in a way, I feel like the audience could relate because of all the UFO stuff that's been coming out. Yeah. And maybe the idea that the government's releasing all that to distract the people from other pressing issues, which is kind of ironic that it was true in this movie. And what they revealed did stop the actual issue going on. Um, but yeah, I mean, that's fair. I I do think Close Encounters and ET are excellent movies. Um, and I I I really liked the idea for this movie. I just didn't like the plot that followed it or that came before it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, maybe that's too harsh of criticism from someone who's never written or directed a movie. Um and you know, he could probably do better than this for sure. Yeah. If he wanted to.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. This leads perfectly into my next question. Where do you think this ranks among the director's films? Maybe in the upper echelon, the middle, the lower tier?
SPEAKER_03I'd say the middle. It felt like a almost an exhibition of his past works, and you know, and his themes, his skills, his styles. Felt like more of a Spielberg expedit exhibition rather than a true movie. There's probably, you know, definitely worse movies than this, um, but definitely not in the upper.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Is past films are highly regarded. You think of Jaws, Jurassic Park. Do you think this film will age well enough to be maybe not considered in that tier of movie, but to the point where people view it more fondly in the future? Or do you think it will kind of wither and die and be forgotten?
SPEAKER_03I think it'll wither and die.
SPEAKER_01What do you think? I don't think it packs enough of a punch to be elevated over time, but I do think it will I think it will be remembered, but it won't be one of those movies that people seek out. I think it if it's on TV, it will probably be on like TNT or something in the middle of the day. Yeah. Like some stay-at-home mom will probably sit down and watch part of it. Yeah, some kid on summer break. Yeah, that's gonna be its legacy.
SPEAKER_03I think it's hard to create a classic off of the premise of another classic or off of kind of the the themes of another classic, which are like E.T. and Close Encounters.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, he's kind of retreading the same ground um that he's already explored. So maybe that's why it just didn't really click.
SPEAKER_02Did you feel like the film was too long or too short? It felt like there was a lot of fluff. About the movie.
SPEAKER_03Um I think it it found some momentum midway through, at least in kind of entertaining. Um, but the first part was a little slow. Yeah. So probably too long.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, it could have um benefited from a little tighter pacing for sure. So I feel like we've really discussed pretty much everything there's to discuss about disclosure day. My final question to you, Luke, is what would you rate this movie out of five? Would you recommend it to a friend?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think I'd give it a three. Originally, two and a half, but I'd give it a three after some of the stuff we've talked about. Um, it's still a Spielberg movie, has those themes, the whimsical feeling, has the John Williams soundtrack. Um, those things are redeeming qualities about the film. I would recommend it because of those. I just wouldn't recommend re-watching it. I don't think it's a rewatchable movie. It's like a Netflix movie. It's a one and done. Yeah. And I've watched that and you you you get the you know premise. You're like, this is interesting. Yeah, but it's not the kind of story I can intake over and over.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. What about you? Yeah, I'd probably rate it a three out of five, like you. I thought it was a really good premise. I was let down by the story, but nonetheless, I was entertained, and that's all I can ask for, really. So, probably a three out of five middle of the mill Spielberg movie. It's always nice to go to a movie theater, so I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the ending. Not gonna lie, kind of disappointed that ET wasn't the alien they revealed at the end. I was I the shape of his head looked exactly like E.T. I started to freak out because I love E.T. He's my letterbox profile picture. It's him and Michael Jackson. It's a great picture, you should look it up. But they're just sitting together. Yeah, they're just I'll I'll show it to you real quick. They're just sitting there. Um, it's it's really a beautiful image. It's like the perfect image, actually. This has been my picture for like five years. Um, but it's it's a glorious image. I just wish he was in disclosure day. That would have blown my mind. Both him and Michael Jackson. Yeah, that would have gotten crowds to the box office. Yeah, imagine wasn't Michael Jackson Captain Elo or something. Michael Jackson was a space person in one movie. I thought people thought he was an alien. He might have been, man. It's called Captain Eo. It's directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Oh, really? Yeah, did he self-finance that movie too? He probably did. It has a 3.2 on Letterboxd. It says, We are here to change the world. Captain Eo and his crew journey to a dark mechanical world to deliver a gift to the tyrannical supreme leader using the power of music and dance to transform her realm from darkness into light. Wow. And it has Angelica Houston as the witch. I feel like we need to watch this for the pod.
SPEAKER_03Maybe we can do an uh extraterrestrial series, and that'll be our kickoff episode.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Captain EO. Um, last thing I'll say about Captain Eo, I think the his little sidekick appears in a Star Wars movie making Captain Eo, Michael Jackson, canon to the Star Wars universe, which is insane. Yeah, that's nuts. That's hard to think about. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Any closing remarks on the movie, Jackson?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, overall, solid movie. Go see it for yourself. Come up with your own review, rating, disclose yourself.