Disclosure Day

The much-anticipated Steven Spielberg film, Disclosure Day has arrived—the summation (Spielberg’s own words) of the director’s life in science fiction films which began with Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Like most of the planet, I have enjoyed Spielberg’s work over the years—two of his films are in my top 100 movies: Schindler’s List and Lincoln. Others, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and more, are permanently registered in my mind as I presume they are for many of you. There are flashes of the majesty of those past works in Disclosure Day. The film is solid and, at times, dazzling from an action and technical standpoint. But the story is plagued by incongruities and, eventually, silliness, diminishing the impact of its core theses.   

The principal themes of Disclosure Day are not new to Spielberg’s story telling. Many of his films have ruminated on the spectrum of human reaction to and treatment of the different (Schindler’s List), the mis-understood (Close Encounters), the alien (E.T.). This time Spielberg attempts to weave these themes within a run/chase conspiracy-thriller wrapper. 

The runner is Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Conner: Knives Out-Wake up the Dead), an employee of a secret government affiliate, the Wardex Corp, who has stolen government files detailing decades of events of human-alien contact. Daniel is supported in his crime by a crew of Wardex defectors convinced that the truth of alien visitors must be revealed to the world. The chaser, Wardex CEO Noah Scanlon (Collin Firth, Kingsmen: The Secret Service) is just as strongly convinced that the planet cannot handle the truth about the alien presence and rushes to track down Kellner and his associates before they can reveal those secrets.  

Concurrently, a television weather person, Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada 2) has an odd encounter with a small bird in her apartment triggering latent (maybe) telepathic abilities in her. Margaret's seemingly new knowledge and periodic visions lead her toward Daniel and an awareness of their intertwining pasts with the undisclosed aliens and what might be learned from them. 

Disclosure develops some pace and shine in its early running scenes—sweeping camera pans following car chases and train v. vehicle encounters. The associated imagery is familiar and fun. 

The characters are well played by the ensemble cast with some standout supporting performances from Wyatt Russell (son of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell), as Margaret’s boyfriend and Courtney Grace who just nails it as a news anchor in the film’s final scene. 

But Disclosure Day stumbles hard in creating a convincing connection among and purpose for its characters and all its moving parts. Disclosure's numerous ideas and theme strings are convoluted and sometimes off target, with too many gaps and questions to congeal into any impactful whole. It’s Citizen Kane-esque ending comes and goes without resonance. 

And so, my anticipation of Disclosure Day’s arrival and of a Spielberg tale, once again, leaving an indelible imprint on my psyche, was for naught. Many critics found the film “Fresh” however, as did most early viewers reporting out on Rotten Tomatoes. So, you may indeed find freshness and profundity in this new and final Spielberg sci-fi. Sadly, I didn’t. 5.5 out or 10. 

The Devil Wears Prada 2 - It's good to see old friends again

It’s been 20 years since we’ve seen the crew of Runway magazine on the big screen. The characters who sent The Devil Wears Prada into rarified levels of popularity and money-making way back in 2006 are that much older and part of our distant and unrefreshed memories. So maybe I should not have been surprised that our reunion in the sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2, began awkwardly—clunky dialog, stilted delivery—the early scenes of reintroduction were disappointingly ungainly. But Prada 2 might be compared to an aging fashion model’s last trip down the runway; the entrance may be less crisp than in days past but once in the full light and sound of the catwalk, the strut comes back.

Prada 2’s tepid start is all about reassembling the ol’ team and then trying to make us remember how much we liked this bunch: Ann Hathaway’s optimistic but conflicted Andy returns, oddly, to the Runway after being laid off by her shrinking newspaper; Nigel (Stanley Tucci) is still playing second fiddle to Meryl Streep’s ruthless Miranda Priestly; and frenetic Emily (Emily Blunt) is now a senior exec at Dior and remains very interested in herself. The early scenes are heavy with lines from and nods to the 2006 film. Alas, I had begun to steel myself, in my theater luxury recliner, for a nigh two-hour rehash of what had come before—then the new film separated itself from the old. 

The main change in Prada 2 from Prada 1 is role reversal. Turns out there’s a new devil this go around… and it doesn’t wear Prada. Twenty years have significantly altered the Devil/Prada landscape. Print media is failing. Awareness of what style is in or out is now communicated through clicks and learned from TikTok. The old fashion-guard is being pressured and replaced by big tech and big corporations with their executive teams focused more on bottom lines than hem length. Odd tech billionaires and their suited minions are the devil now. The high-and-mighty Miranda Priestly has been defanged to a degree, forced to recognize a new power and where the new money comes from; and forced to concede that she will need the help of others to maintain the little space that is left for her.  

This switcheroo is an easy vehicle to propel the film along but it’s really not that interesting. The true fun of the film, the thing that makes it worth watching is, once again, the well-played characters—our old friends. 

The film and cast finally hit stride when we all return to Italy for Milan Fashion Week. Our posse swaggers through a grand entrance to the event looking really, really good. Madonna’s Vogue blasts forth as the party starts (the old). Then Lady Gaga appears with a new anthem (the new). The lights flash, the models walk, important people connive… and were cruising. 

Prada 2 is by no measure a great work. But it is, at last, fun. The mashing of old and new is not without kinks and stumbles and contrivances to tolerate. But the sweet reunion with old friends is worth the small sorrows that come with it. 6.5 out of 10.