The Post

Back in the 1960s, while the fruitless conflict in Vietnam raged on, newspapers discovered a massive cover up of government secrets that spanned four U.S. presidents. The Washington Post, lead by Katherine Graham (played by Meryl Streep) and her unyielding news editor, Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks), takes on the reins to inform the public, despite challenges imposed by President Nixon, legalities, and... deadlines.

The Post comments on a time sadly not so different from our own and draws connections to the importance of real news in our democratic society. The film avoids turning out too dry while dealing with complicated laws and self-important bureaucracy by trusting its characters to carry a large weight. While preachy at moments, The Post exemplifies Steven Spielberg's innate skill at storytelling, and succeeds where Best Picture Spotlight falters: displaying a thrilling drama about news reporters doing the right thing, and acting as a visceral reminder of the nostalgia that the printing press holds.

The film is nominated for two oscars: Best Motion Picture and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. Both nominations have a fair chance of winning, but when considering the opposition, it is definitely not a certainty. Although upon watching The Post, one thing is for certain. Meryl Streep is an artistic master at capturing a character and performing faultlessly in their skin. Katherine Graham does not have a particularly eccentric personality. She is fairly orthodox where acting roles are concerned (not your typical Oscar role). Yet, Streep is able to spin gold from Graham's hesitant demeanor and carry a full, satisfying character arc.

Tom Hanks gives a showy performance that rounds out the film with fiery passion and humor. With Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Steven Spielberg—three cinematic powerhouses—the film is expected to be exceptional.

But is it as untouchable as its top talents?

Not entirely.

The film is regrettably forgettable, which is especially unfortunate considering the historical content and timeless message of free speech that it celebrates. The acting is superb, the characters are somewhat interesting, and the well-paced story is captivating in the moment, but there's nothing grand to hold on to. Perhaps this has to do with the film's ending. Or perhaps the corny boastfulness that calls out in triumph as if it's the movie's own dampers the spectacle built from earlier conflicts and developments. Or perhaps it's just me.

Whatever it is, let's see if The Post will last in the minds of viewers until the next Oscar bait film decides to portray a team of news reporters.

Chad: 3.5/5

Alex: 3.5/5