Review of The Post (2017) by Bijinius C — 13 Feb 2018

. . . . It was good. Fine. Totally acceptable and unoffensive as a Hollywood entertainment. But coming from such an embarrassingly rich pool of collected talent it was, for me, a disappointment. Steven Spielberg is a great filmmaker.

It's well known fact. Regardless of personal taste, his talent as a director is world famous. Meryl Streep is a world treasure. She's annoyingly constant in her excellence. And Tom Hanks is, if anything, undervalued as a screen presence these days.

He hasn't been nominated for an Oscar(TM) since when, "Cast Away?" Come on. That's absurd. Anyway, this film was good. It featured a strong subject matter, and the performances were, naturally, fantastic.

Production was, naturally, fantastic. Steven Spielberg provided, once again, an expert hand behind the lens. But where's the thrill? The excitement of movie making? This film was impressive in its ability to be completely boring in it's presentation of a fascinating time in world history.

I was often reminded of a film with similar themes and plot points, George Clonoey's "Good Night and Good Luck." But that movie just MOVED me more. There are images and scenes from that movie that I still remember, after years.

"The Post" had one very memorable scene-a scene involving a reporter's desk being disturbed by machinery working downstairs. It was a great moment in a film that was just okay. I don't think it's deserving of all the critical praise or award nominations; it's an accomplished mainstream drama, and it takes itself seriously.

It's a movie made for people with patience and intellect. That's good. We need movies with such determination to speak on important issues like the popular war against the free press, but I would have appreciated some more emotional drive-cinematic energy.

Drama. Spielberg's last drama, "Bridge of Spies," was much more involving. An incredibly competent but strangely lifeless film from a modern master. That's all.