"A Statement" review says film is talky and flat despite fine acting

Variety's review of Tom McCarthy's new film "A Statement" is in, and it's a mixed bag. The movie dramatizes a real 1980 conference where a task force of scientists and officials gathered in Florida to draft a report for Congress on climate change.

The outlet reports that the movie features a cast including Paul Rudd, Paul Giamatti, John Turturro, and Amy Ryan. The entire film takes place within the conference room, built verbatim from the actual meeting transcripts.

According to the review, the film aims to be a firebrand docudrama but ends up feeling "talky and flat, grabby and meandering, impassioned and neutral." The critic calls it "like an endless magazine article in movie form" and struggles to imagine its audience.

The reviewer's verdict is blunt, per Variety: "My heartless prediction: next to no one." The piece notes the film reveals how much was already understood about climate change in 1980, but that the presentation fails to ignite dramatically.