The Post

 2017’s “The Post“, directed by Steven Spielberg.

Starring Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys, Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, Jesse Plemons, David Cross, and Zach Woods.

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, and Best Actress (Meryl Streep).

What is it about?

Based off of true events, “The Post” is about the 1970’s Pentagon Papers, a damning expose on America’s role in the Vietnam war, that were leaked by an embedded journalist to the media. Washington Post editor (Tom Hanks), and his dedicated staff team (Tracy Letts, Carrie Coon, Bob Odenkirk, and David Cross), go through the pressures of legalities, politics, and ethical quandries, while also grappling with the newspaper owner (Meryl Streep)’s desires. With the New York Times being shut down by a court injunction should they publish, it comes down to Hanks and his team to make the news public. Will they be able to survive the political firestorm should they publish the papers?

Why is it worth seeing?

It’s not that difficult to see why “The Post” was made. With the current US administration doing everything it can to discredit and marginalize journalists in favour of misinformation through Twitter, a film about journalists taking down a hubristic administration lead by a con man feels like an appropriate response. But is it any good?

“The Post” seeks to bring to light the competing pressures in the business of journalism, as it’s political pressures combine with financial ones. Here, we see that with the newspaper negotiating an Initial Public Offering (IPO) to make itself more profitable, and with the benefit of hindsight, it certainly serves as the beginning of the potential end of journalism as we know it. But again, is it any good?

There’s some heavy hitters here. Spielberg, Hanks, Streep, and John Williams have more Oscar mentions than a hot dog factory. There’s a background of excellence that owes prestige merely for showing up. But all the star power in the world won’t substitute the excitable tension that comes from frantically working a story. And all the hairpieces and comb overs on the planet won’t create pathos out of a first half that hums about as fast as a printing press turned off.

There’s some love here for the process of creating newspapers, as we watch linotypes be created, and impressive looking presses roar to life, their cycles of efficiency cranking out information in times where the news wasn’t a 24 hour bonanza. And there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of the performances either, particularly Bob Odenkirk and Alison Brie’s. But Spielberg oddly can’t seem to bring a sense of urgency and conspiracy to a film that could have felt like a welcome addition to journalism/media genre pics such as “All the President’s Men”, “Network”, “Zodiac”, and “Spotlight”, and instead seems to go back to his Television days for something that feels more like a television pilot.

All of the wattage in the room can’t produce something as iconic as Redford talking circles around a reluctant interviewee, or a Ruffalo rant about how, “They knew!” The good news is, with a guy as prolific and connected as Spielberg, it won’t be long before he does another doozy.

Rating:

3/5

Trailer: Click Here.