The Post: Movie Review

It’s hard to imagine that Steven Spielberg began shooting “The Post” this past summer.  In a matter of seven months, the film went from principal photography to theatrical release.  This was something a studio like Cannon Films was able to pull off in the 1980’s but it’s not as common for someone like Spielberg. This may not be a massive production compared to his upcoming blockbuster, “Ready Player One”, but it does feature one of the most impressive casts working today.  It is also a period piece, so making it look just right would probably take some extra time.  Needless-to-say, Spielberg delivered a winner and though it might not be as memorable as it should be, it is still an important story that feels all-the-more relevant in today’s political climate.

Set in the early 1970’s, “The Post” centers on the country’s first female newspaper publisher, Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) and her editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) as they take on the government by publishing classified documents about the Vietnam war.  This is a cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents and could have gone on for much longer if they were willing to lose everything to do the right thing.

“The Post” is a very dialogue heavy drama, but it moves along much quicker than one might expect. Thankfully, Spielberg kept the runtime just under two hours, as this could have been much longer and thankfully it’s not.  The screenplay by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer is incredibly sharp but it’s the performance from the leads that really drives the film. I loved the supporting cast which includes Bob Odenkirk, Bruce Greenwood, and Bradley Whitford.

“The Post” won’t go down as one of Spielberg’s great classics but for those who love films about moments in history and love the cast involved, this is one that is worth seeing.

By: Marc Ferman