Steven Spielberg might be the most beloved and popular American director of the 20th century, but it is also unavoidably the case that, since 2005’s Munich, he has been on something of a disappointing run. While many of his films, not least The Fabelmans and West Side Story, have been critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated, there is a growing sense that he has not made a really interesting or worthwhile picture in 20 years, with the partial exception of the enjoyable, quirky, Coen Brothers-scripted Bridge of Spies.
Anyone who suffered through Ready Player One will know that Spielberg’s abilities to direct large-scale action-adventure films – once peerless – seem to have deserted him of late, which is why it is a pleasant surprise that his new UFO-alien film, recently announced to be entitled Disclosure Day, makes it look like he’s more engaged than he’s been in years. The enigmatic first trailer, which was teased by some high-profile and mysterious billboards that appeared in various US locations earlier this week bearing the tagline “All Will Be Disclosed,” gives relatively little away, but what it does hint at is that we are not alone, and that there are various forces – both extraterrestrial and earthbound – that are taking full advantage of this unprecedented situation.
The teaser is just that – a teaser – but it is possible to draw a few conclusions already from the couple of minutes of footage that have been released. One characteristic feature of any Spielberg film is interesting casting, and this unusually Brit-heavy ensemble features Emily Blunt, man-of-the-moment Josh O’Connor and, in what looks like an intriguingly villainous role, none other than Colin Firth, who appears to be playing some sort of Men in Black-type in league with the extraterrestrial visitors. And there’s a splendidly creepy scene in which Blunt’s weather forecaster appears to be briefly possessed by the ETs, delivering some kind of message to the appalled, terrified populace who were expecting nothing more dramatic than a report about whether the next day will be sunny or cloudy.
Obviously, there will be some who are now no longer keeping the faith with Spielberg, and certainly there are tropes from his earlier sci-fi work clearly on display in the trailer: there are echoes both of Minority Report and War of the Worlds, and those who wish the director would broaden his range of regular collaborators may be dispirited, rather than excited, that his regular cinematographer Janusz Kamiński and long-standing composer John Williams are on board once again. Still, even if this might not be the entirely new breakthrough from his past, it would be foolish to expect the now 78-year-old director to find a completely new set of tricks this late in his career. Instead, the question most likely to be asked, by critics and audiences alike, is simple: is Disclosure Day going to be a return to form?
The early signs are good. Notably, Spielberg has come up with the story for the picture himself – the screenplay is credited to Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp – and usually the pictures that he’s had a hand in writing, including Close Encounters and A.I., are some of his most thought-provoking and interesting. Based on the tantalizing evidence so far, then, this could be a blockbuster with serious smarts, allowing Spielberg to regain his place at the top table (if a director so legendary ever left it, of course) with chutzpah and intelligence to spare. And will the film, as is rumored, feature real UFOs? That might be a step too far, but anyone who bets against Spielberg – on any level – might just be disappointed.
Comments