2017 Films: #37. The Post

Chicago on February 3rd. Directed by Steven Spielberg, The Post tells the story of how the Washington Post published the Pentagon Papers, a series of classified documents outlaying America's 30 year role in the Viet Nam War.

Meryl Streep is Katharine Graham, the publisher of the Washington Post and 1st female publisher of a major newspaper. Graham comes from old money and is a socialite/player in the DC scene. She inherits the role of publisher upon the death of her husband and the fact that she's a woman in the 70's means that she's clearly unqualified for the job. Tom Hanks plays Ben Bradlee, a legendary journalist and newspaper man.

The Post at this time in the early 70's is not much of national newspaper and is clearly playing 2nd fiddle to the New York Times. It's the Times that actually takes the lead in the publishing of the Pentagon Papers but Post reporter Ben Bagdikian (Bob Odenkirk) is able to track down the source of the leak and is able to obtain the papers for publishing.

Now, Graham is taking the paper public while all this is going on and there's fear that publishing the papers could jeopardize the deal. The White House takes the Post and Times to the Supreme Court to block the publication of the papers. The Supreme Court rules in favor of the newspapers and the Pentagon Papers are published. The First Amendment wins!

The film received an 88% Rotten Tomatoes rating and was nominated for Best Film and Best Actress Oscars but in all honesty, it was not that great. The problem I have with historical films like this is that I need to be pulled in because I know the outcome. Spielberg and Hanks teamed up for 2015's Bridge of Spies and that film didn't pull me in either. Spielberg's Lincoln, pulled me in. The Post is not on the same level as Lincoln. I never want to say that mega talents like Spielberg, Streep and Hanks phone it in. Hanks was not that special. A solid Hanks performance given, but not memorable by any stretch. As for Streep, I kept waiting for her to character to stop being such a namby-pamby and finally stand up for herself. I understand that Streep can get a nomination for sneezing onscreen because she's the best. She has no peers (thus she can never be convicted of a crime in a trial by jury).

This is a good picture with standout performances that is worth seeing if you're interested in the subject matter. Are you missing out if you don't see this film? Absolutely not.