Movie Review: The Post
The Post was hailed as a front runner this awards season. But it looks like Steven Spielberg's passion project is losing steam.
Despite getting six nominations, it went home empty-handed at the recent Golden Globes.
Spielberg was also notably snubbed by his peers at the Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild and Directors Guild of America awards.
It did, however, make it to the Producers Guild of America list alongside 10 other films.
The Post may not be getting much awards love, but it is a film that must be watched.
Spielberg keeps his direction tight and fast, and that helps fuel the tension, as the story about how the Pentagon Papers come to light is neither new nor fiction.
The premise might have been an old chapter in America's political history, but the message is timely and relevant.
Freedom of the press should always be there, and women in power should be honoured.
First-time screenwriter Liz Hannah creates a compelling central figure in socialite publisher Katharine Graham, and Meryl Streep plays the role with much aplomb.
Streep makes her an empathetic character, one who yearns to make her mark in a male-dominated world.
There are instances of her quivering with indecision and moments of insecurity, but she never comes across as weak.
The ever-dependable Tom Hanks is on fire, too, as her associate.
While Streep and Hanks have been singled out for their performances, The Post is engaging because its entire cast is excellent.
This is a film about journalism and how only a well-oiled newsroom can produce great stories.
Rating: 4/5
MOVIE: The Post
STARRING: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bruce Greenwood
WRITER-DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg
THE SKINNY: The year is 1971. Ben Bradlee (Hanks), editor of the Washington Post, and his publisher Katharine Graham (Streep) make the tough decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret defence department study of America's involvement in Vietnam.
RATING: PG13
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