November Preview: The Report
by Nathan Robertson
I had the opportunity to attend a showing of The Report at the Chicago International Film Festival. The movie releases nationwide November 15th.
Let me start by saying that I am an Adam Driver fan. A big one. From his minimal but memorable role in Inside Llewyn Davis to his turn as a reserved bus driver who writes beautiful poetry in Paterson, Adam Driver has yet to find a role he can’t pull off. Yes, even Kylo Ren.
Driver’s performance as Daniel Jones in The Report allows him to do what he does best, all the little things. There’s a moment where Driver does with a subtle eye twitch what many actors couldn’t do with a monologue.
The Report documents the uncovering of the CIA coverup that saw years of torture being overlooked or simply ignored. Many may go into the movie with a preconceived notion of what it’s political stance maybe, but overall The Report takes a mostly objective approach even if it may fall into the temptation of taking a few cheap shots at past political figures.
The film is a slow burn. Sitting at two hours there are certainly times where it begins to drag. However, the filmmaker attempts to combat this by interspersing flashbacks of the torture tapes throughout the film. While effective, even these moments can begin to feel redundant.
Overall The Report gives an inside look at an incredibly important part of history. What will people do for political gain? Who keeps those with all the power in check? These are the questions that I left the theater with and I think The Report does well to present those questions in a tangible way. Today’s political climate is filled with deception and distrust. However, for the believer, there is a call to honor governing authorities, to trust that God has put them in their position for a reason. The trouble comes when that authority is in direct disobedience to God, as Christians we have a responsibility to honor God before any human being. So what does this look like tangibly? How do we honor leaders who go against our preferences? How do we support imperfect leaders? Which flaws are more acceptable than others? How do we decide between the lesser of two evils? I don’t know the answers to all these questions, but I do think more than ever it’s important that we ask them.