Synopsis: Katharine Graham is the first female publisher of a major American newspaper — The Washington Post. With help from editor Ben Bradlee, Graham races to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spans three decades and four U.S. presidents. Together, they must overcome their differences as they risk their careers — and very freedom — to help bring long-buried truths to light.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks
Released: 2018
Steven Spielberg’s The Post is an important film, and it feels it. That’s an important quality: I believe that films are meant to say something about the now. Even a film set 100 years ago and 1,000,000 miles away can still tell the viewer something about the now, and so it feels appropriate that The Post is a film that is very deliberately telling an important story about press freedom that is both historical and current. If you don’t want to hear this sort of thing when you go to the cinema, you might just be part of the problem.
That preamble is meant to serve as an explanation for my enjoyment of The Post. Spielberg’s film feels very aware of its own importance, and for me, this increased the power of this well told and well acted narrative. There is a sense of right here, of a downtrodden underdog, that makes for compelling viewing. It’s not perfect, and there are certainly moments in which the narrative drags or the pace drops, but on the whole The Post is a well crafted film with an important message, and it is not afraid to shout that message when it needs hearing.
The best thing about The Post is Meryl Streep, who has been nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. I’ve heard some claim that this nomination is one that Streep doesn’t deserve, but I found her performance to be powerful and investing (I’m still yet to see some of the performances that some argue are more deserving of a nomination, so I can’t comment there). Most importantly however, Streep feels real as Katharine Graham: I was initially a little taken aback at her performance: Streep is restrained, nervous, at points bordering on breakdown, when I had expected a powerful woman, here to smash the preconceived notions surrounding her. However, once I settled into the film, I realised that Streep pitches the performance perfectly. Katherine Graham isn’t a superhero, and nor should she have to be: she’s a real character, that struggles with the pressures put onto her, and this eventually makes the decisions she is forced to make more difficult and more powerful.
Hanks too is really good as Ben Bradlee: a really fun performance that binds the piece together. Hanks provides the majority of the laughs, without ever detracting from the severity of the narrative, and his character is a good contrast to Streep’s Graham. The supporting cast all perform their roles adequately, propelling the plot forward while hinting at characteristics that lie beyond the scope of The Post. John Williams’ score is lively, and contributes to the tone and sense of stakes: the old master’s still got it! It’s hard to fault the presentation of The Post: every element serves the broader feeling of the stakes of the film, and the performances of our leads are incredibly investing: the viewer wants to root for them.
This isn’t a perfect film, however, and the majority of the shortcomings are probably narrative. There is a sense that, because this is a true story, that the audience is aware of the outcome, and there are moments where The Post chooses not to hold the tension that is readily available: these moments felt like missed opportunities, since, regardless of the true nature of the story, this is a film, and so events should unfold as a story. Many have criticised Spielberg for crafting a film filled with cheesy moments, but this seemed minimal to me, even subtle, and felt appropriate: this is an important story. It deserved Spielberg’s warmer approach to filmmaking. I’d also add that I really enjoyed the montage moments of newspaper printing – we’ve seen it all before, but there was something about the atmosphere of The Post that made these moments feel almost necessary.
There’s a really fantastic moment in The Post, in which Katherine Graham has to make a decision. There’s a pause that Spielberg holds, and in this pause, the weight of the narrative weighs on Graham. Streep’s performance here is brilliant: we read in her eyes the enormity of the moment, feel the two sides of the argument that have been laid out, and understand that Graham is not a superhero. This isn’t an easy decision. Spielberg is restrained: there’s no swelling score, no huge moment of triumph. It’s a moment of truth at the heart of a really important film.
In a word: Streep and Hanks are excellent in this timely and powerful tale about decisions, truth, and what is right.
Grade: B+
Want to stay up to date with everything published on the blog? Follow our twitter account, @FilmDiscursion, and never miss another update. Want to read more of our content? Why not try the following articles:
RANKED: Best Picture Nominees 2017
TOP 10: Christopher Nolan Films
SCHMOEDOWN: Top 5 Innergeekdom/Star Wars Matches 2017
SCHMOEDOWN: Top 10 Singles Matches 2017
STAR WARS: Looking Ahead to Episode IX
REVIEW: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Schmoedown Breakdown 
6 thoughts on “REVIEW: The Post”