Headline duo rule the roost
The Post (12A)
Since 1997’s The Lost World, eight of the 14 feature films helmed by Steven Spielberg have been based on truelife tales.
Whether putting soldiers, con men or former US presidents in the frame, the legendary director has proved a dab hand at lavish biographical productions.
This time around, Spielberg turns his attention to the newspaper industry; specifically The Washington Post’s battle with the American government over the futility of the Vietnam War.
Fighting for the freedom of the press – over the reporting of the Pentagon Papers – are the publication’s owner Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) and editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks).
In a world where the US President is rarely off the front pages and talk of “fake news” is thrown around, it feels like a very appropriate time for The Post to hit cinemas.
Inexperienced big screen writers Josh Singer and Liz Hannah penned the script, although the former’s time on TV’s The West Wing will have stood him in good stead here with another peek under the table of American politics.
The Post treads similar stylistic framework and dialogue-heavy drama with 2016’s Best Picture Oscar winner Spotlight – but falls short of the brilliance of both that and genre classic All the President’s Men.
Spielberg’s latest hits its peak when Hanks and Streep’s opposing views collide; there’s nothing quite like watching two acting heavyweights butt heads.
You really get a keen sense of the internal struggle both are going through as they try to do the right thing without compromising their principles.
Huge credit also goes to a weighty cast that includes long-established strong supporting hands like Bruce Greenwood (Robert McNamara) and Bradley Whitford (Arthur Parsons) and a whole host of talented television stars on the cusp of transitioning to the big screen; Sarah Paulson (Tony Bradlee), Bob Odenkirk (Ben Bagdikian), Alison Brie (Lally Graham) and Jesse Plemons (Roger Clark).
The plot rattles along at a decent pace and is never less than engrossing, but lacks raw emotion and true fist-thumping moments.
Perhaps the most surprising thing of all, however, is that, other than luring Hanks – for a fifth time – and Streep, there’s little trace of Spielberg’s trademark magic.
Without going as far as to say anyone could’ve made The Post – as that’s blatantly untrue – it’s shot in such a clean, simple style that you wonder if the 71-year-old is taking a bit of a breather before returning to more fantasy-based fare with Ready Player One (out in March).
But while The Post isn’t vintage Spielberg – both in general or among his true story output – it’s still a riveting, multi-stranded old-school drama about the value of free speech.
Timely, terrific and tense, this is a movie that deserves to make headlines.