The Post (Review)
The Post Deserves the Nomination, but Probably Not the Award.
The Post’s tale of freedom of press feels more timely than ever given the war on truth being waged in our country currently. So, it’s no wonder that this Steven Spielberg film found itself nominated for Best Picture at the 2018 Academy Awards. Of course, there’s no questioning the quality of the film, but is it deserving of the accolades that have been bestowed on it? Long story short, pretty much.
Based on the true story of the Pentagon papers published against the “best interest of national security,” The Post features an all-star cast consisting of Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Alison Brie. Oh, and it features the fantastic reunion of Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. It makes sense that Spielberg would assemble an incredible cast to tell this tale, but given the talent backing this, there is no way it could have been bad. However, they’re given a strong script to work with and Spielberg’s resume speaks for itself.
The biggest issue The Post has is that there is a lot of exposition. The entire first half of the film is pretty much devoted to setting up the stakes for Hanks. Streep, and the Washington Post in general. After all, the battle is pointless if there is nothing to gain or lose. The thing is that it feels obvious that this is exactly what it’s doing, and it doesn’t really contribute much to the actual story that the movie is based on. Of course, there’s the whole spoiler that The Washington Post is still very much alive and kicking. So, there isn’t much to fear in the grand scheme of things.
That being said, everything in the world of the film is incredibly well executed. Everything from the production design to the costumes screams 1970’s. However, the real buzz is about the performances. Hanks and Streep are perfect together. The chemistry between them is the very backbone of the film as they struggle with the weight of the decision their characters face. Both of them have something to lose no matter what choice is made, but they never seem to butt heads. Even when they’re standing their ground against each other, there seems to be a great deal of respect between. There’s a reason that Streep though received a nomination for best actress though. The film focuses on not just her struggle with trying to make the right decision for not just her paper but for the public, but also on the adversity she faces as a woman in the 1970’s.
While there’s a lot to say about The Post in general, I have to admit that my favorite part of the film was when it actually showed the enormous printing presses in action. It’s awe-inspiring watching the process in which the giant machines put ink to paper and spread the news. Unfortunately, this causes me to question just how interesting the rest of the film is overall. I’m definitely not saying it’s a bad movie. It’s just that it has these long periods in which not much really happens. Overall, it’s a film that meanders and takes its time during its journey from start to finish. In fact, the pacing is almost painfully slow at times and that undermines the tension during much of The Post.
At the end of the day, The Post is a good movie. It’s got a timely message that audiences can embrace, a powerful cast, and an experienced director to bring everything together. It’s a very well made movie. However, it never really fully grabbed me. It’s not that I wasn’t interested in what was going on on screen, but I never really gave in and embraced the film. For some reason, one foot was always stuck in reality. I’m certainly glad I took the time to watch The Post, but it wasn’t the best time I’ve had at a movie this year.
