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Confidential Report is a 1955 film noir directed by Orson Welles, who also starred in the lead role. The movie tells the story of Gregory Arkadin (Orson Welles), a wealthy and powerful man who hires a private detective named Guy Van Stratten (Robert Arden) to investigate his own past. Van Stratten travels across Europe to interview people who knew Arkadin in the past, but the more he digs, the more he realizes that Arkadin may not be who he seems.

The film opens with Van Stratten being approached by a man named Bracco (Akim Tamiroff) who claims to have information about Arkadin's past. Bracco takes Van Stratten to a Parisian nightclub where he introduces him to Mily (Paola Mori), a beautiful woman who used to be Arkadin's mistress. Mily only agrees to talk to Van Stratten if he promises to help her escape from her current life working in the nightclub. Once Van Stratten agrees to her terms, Mily tells him about Arkadin's shady past as a black marketeer during World War II.

Van Stratten continues his investigation across Europe, meeting with various people who knew Arkadin in the past. He learns about Arkadin's many aliases and realizes that Arkadin is a deeply complex and mysterious man who has reinvented himself many times over. Along the way, Van Stratten meets Arkadin's daughter Raina (Paola Mori), who becomes a key player in the investigation as she tries to uncover the truth about her father's past.

As Van Stratten digs deeper, he finds himself caught up in a dangerous web of deception and betrayal. He is followed by Arkadin's henchmen, attacked by Mily's jealous boyfriend (Robert Arden), and pursued by a mysterious woman (Katina Paxinou) who seems to be working for Arkadin. But Van Stratten refuses to give up, driven by his determination to uncover the truth about Arkadin's past.

The film's plot is complex and multi-layered, with many flashbacks and narrative twists that keep the audience guessing until the very end. At times, the story can feel convoluted and disjointed, as characters and plot threads are introduced and then quickly abandoned. However, the film's stunning visuals and Orson Welles' masterful direction help to keep the audience engaged and invested in the story.

Confidential Report is notable for its innovative use of sound and music, with a haunting score by Paul Misraki that adds to the film's moody atmosphere. The film also features several striking visual sequences, including a dreamlike scene in which Arkadin is surrounded by mirrors that reflect his various identities and past selves.

Overall, Confidential Report is a stylish and intriguing film noir that features a strong performance by Orson Welles and some stunning visuals. Although the plot can be confusing at times, the film's moody atmosphere and innovative style make it a must-see for fans of the genre.

Confidential Report is a 1955 mystery with a runtime of 1 hour and 33 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1.