Review of The Post (2017) by John M — 16 Feb 2018

Telling the truth. So this is about Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep). She is the first female publisher of not only the Washington Post, but of any major American newspaper. This was during the time of the Vietnam War, and when everybody was being told that the United States was winning, the truth was that we were not, as the government was lying to its people.

When they receive evidence that proves this, Graham has a heavy decision to make: does she run the story and risk it all? Now I had the same initial reaction that most people had to this before watching it: on paper, this just screams big Hollywood Oscar bait.

They got the director, they got the award-winning actors, and it is based on historical events. Well, if this is bait, then I guess I am hooked, because I loved this from start to finish. For starters, this is much more Spotlight and much less The King's Speech if you follow me.

It is about as relevant as can be, and in this day and age where everybody is so quick to cry out "fake news!", it really makes a statement on the importance of integrity in journalism, even in the face of scrutiny from the government.

I guess that is a testament on how cyclical history is. Also, I can't go without saying how great Meryl Streep is in this. I understand that she is up for Best Actress this year, but this isn't your regular Meryl Streep award winning performance.

There's nothing big about it, and she pulls it off with a ton of subtlety, playing a meek woman trying to be courageous, and it is wonderful in a less-is-more type of way. It is also very easy to root for her; she is essentially trying to play ball in a boy's club, and you want her to find her strength to do the right thing.

And speaking of doing the right thing, they also address the morality behind it; this woman in no way wants to ruin the lives of everyone who works for this newspaper, but at the same time, if she does nothing, that would make her complicit.

There is just a lot to chew on here, and while I was expecting this to be quality, I wasn't necessarily expecting that. I do think that the first twenty minutes or so starts off leading you to think that this will be a slow burn.

Then it gets exciting. The second and third acts to this are structured more like a thriller, and it just grabs you and doesn't let go. On top of the big name talent, there are a lot of great character actors in this that make this all the more satisfying, like Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, Pat Healy and more.

Nobody shouts out over-dramatic speeches, and everybody remains grounded in this high stakes situation, which I very much appreciated. It's empowering for women, and I do think that The Post deserves all the recognition that it is currently receiving.