The Post review

          Some of the best movie going experiences I've had are when the theater is packed. Solitude is also great, but there is something about being in a room filled with people who share the the desire to see whatever it is they are watching that's intriguingly communal. I had this experience when I went and saw The Post the other day. Stephen Spielberg directed this film and at this point, Spielberg is a household name and its iconic to the point where theaters will be packed upon the hearing of his name alone.

          The Post is about the journalistic turmoil that arose when study papers revealed that the U.S government had been lying about the status of the Vietnam War. The film is centered around Kathryn Graham, the head of The Washington Post, and Ben Bradlee who works for Graham. Both Bradlee and Graham struggle to decide what to do to increase the sphere of influence from local newspaper to more national. When they come into possession of some very sensitive documents that contain information about the situation in Vietnam War, they have to decide if they want to risk persecution from the government or put journalistic integrity first and inform the public. This is a history movie with events and outcomes that you could look up online, but with that I am going to refrain from telling anymore of the story.

          This is a powerful movie that riveted me from beginning to end. Some people drew comparisons to the movie Spotlight, which won best picture back in 2016, in terms of issues and story. Yes, both are about journalistic endeavors in revealing truths that have been buried by those in power, but the difference here is that in Spielberg's film, there are consequences to publishing the "forbidden" news article. While in Spotlight there were no real stakes other than the fact that the child molestation would persist if no light was shined upon the issue. In The Post, the newspaper company faces severe government persecution if they fell through with the publish. However, it has been awhile since I've seen Spotlight so I might be wrong.
          Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks give wonderful performances, especially Streep, but is that really a surprise to anyone? You know its gonna be good when Spielberg teams up with Hanks.
There were only a couple of issues i had with the movie and that was the last 20 to 30 minutes. I would have loved to have spent more time during the actual court trials between the Washington Post and the U.S government. The movie rushes through that part of the story. They could have taken more time with that part, especially since the movie isn't even 2 hours long and that's with credits. The court room is a fantastic setting for story progression and it would have been nice to see the actual fight between the two bodies, but the focus is more on the conflict that occurs before and after the acquisition of the sensitive government documents. The other thing that didn't sit well with me was the ending. It was rather cheesy even for Spielberg who isn't exactly foreign to the concept. I wont reveal the contents of the ending, but know that (at least in my opinion) you should be prepared to drown in your seat.
          Overall, The Post is a riveting film that documents a moment in history where the legitimacy of journalism was under attack and even bears some relevancy today. Its a Spielberg film so you're definitely gonna watch it at some point, but I would recommend you check it out in theaters if you haven't already. 8/10