Director Steven Spielberg’s filmography is legendary, to say the least. Movies like “Jaws” (1975), “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981), “E.T.: The Extraterrestrial” (1982), “Schindler’s List” (1993) and “Jurassic Park” (1993) have gone down as classics in the annals of filmmaking. And, even though some of his works in more recent years haven’t quite lived up to the quality of past efforts, it’s comforting to know that he’s still got what it takes when he gets behind the camera. This is where his latest release, “Disclosure Day,” comes into play, easily his best picture in years. This sci-fi/conspiracy theory/personal discovery thriller sports a multifaceted narrative that’s probably too complex to detail here, but that’s likely to be beneficial to viewers who walk into the theater knowing little, if anything about it in advance. In fact, I’d actually recommend approaching this offering from that standpoint to allow it to wash over you organically, to experience and wrap yourself up in the sense of awe and wonder it evokes without the hindrance of too many preconceptions. The one thing I will say about it is that it’s more than just another picture about UFOs and space aliens. While it’s true that formal disclosure about the coverup of an extraterrestrial presence on Earth over the past 80 years is at the core of the storyline, there’s much more going on here, imbuing the title with multiple meanings involving other subjects, including those of a personal and spiritual nature, adding depth to what might have otherwise been merely a more conventional science fiction movie. This becomes apparent through the film’s myriad story threads, which start out seeming disparate and unrelated, much like what happened at the beginning of “Close Encounters.” But, as this picture unfolds, connections develop showing how they all ultimately coalesce, just like in its predecessor. Some have called this kind of storytelling improbable and unrealistic, but many of us have undoubtedly seen this happen in our own lives, and, when that occurs, it doesn’t seem nearly so farfetched (so why should it be any different in a work of cinematic fiction?). Of course, grasping the connections, nuances and meanings in this requires devoting sufficient attention when watching the movie, so, if you’re unable or unwilling to do so for a film with a 2:25:00 runtime, you might want to skip this one. That would be regrettable, though, given that Spielberg is back at the top of his game here, telling a story with the same skills he has brought to so many other releases over the years in terms of depicting a compelling plot, building suspense, executing gripping action sequences and providing appropriately timed comic relief. He also provides a comprehensive palette of ufology-related topics, some of which are well known and others of which are more obscure (references that fans of Coast to Coast AM radio and The X-Files TV series will surely appreciate), but all of which are sufficiently explained without requiring ample viewer foreknowledge. And Spielberg has a lot of help bringing all this into being thanks to the insightful screenplay of David Koepp, the original score of composer John Williams (arguably his most mature work ever), and the superb performances of an ensemble cast featuring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson, Wyatt Russell and Elizabeth Marvel. I’d heartily recommend watching this on as large a screen as possible (e.g., IMAX), and please pay no heed to the trolls voicing their uninformed opinions in trying to inexplicably tear this one down. “Disclosure Day” is about as nearly a perfect piece of filmmaking as one can envision. In fact, if I had to register a complaint of any kind here, it might be that the final act could be seen as being a little stretched out, but that’s such a minor criticism that it’s hardly worth mentioning. Savor all of the various forms of disclosure being served up in this release, as you may end up drawing upon them to discover aspects about yourself that you never knew before – and enabling you to walk out of the theater at the end a different person than who you were when you went in and into a different world than what you knew before.
