THE POST REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Streep, Hanks and Spielberg. The mention of those names immediately sparks interest, regardless of the plot. While this is the fifth feature that Tom Hanks has worked on with director Steven Spielberg, this is, surprisingly, Meryl Streep's first time appearing in a film alongside Hanks and the first time she's worked with Spielberg. With Streep and Hanks in the leading roles and Spielberg in the director's chair, is political-based drama The Post deserving of its two Academy Award nominations?

The Post is a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post's Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers - and their very freedom - to help bring long-buried truths to light. The film features an acclaimed ensemble cast including Alison Brie (as Graham's daughter, Lally), Carrie Coon (as Meg Greenfield, the editorial writer of The Washington Post), David Cross(as Howard Simons, the managing editor), Bruce Greenwood (Robert McNamara, the Secretary of Defense), Bob Odenkirk (as Ben Bagdikian, a journalist) and Sarah Paulson (as Ben's wife, Antoinette "Tony" Pinchot Bradlee).

While this is far from Spielberg's greatest film, it's still a solid piece of drama with two great performances from both Streep and Hanks. As of late, Streep has been unfairly criticised for her many Oscar nominations she's received in her four decade long career. I think that Streep is one of the greatest actors working today and is deserving of every accolade she receives as I'm yet to see her give a disappointing performance. The script, credited to Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, focuses on her character, Katharine Graham, who, after her husband's death, takes over as the publisher of The Washington Post. There was a lot of pressure on her, mainly because she was the first female publisher of an American newspaper, and the pressure only increased when she must make the decision on whether or not to publish the Pentagon Papers, classified documents regarding the 30-year involvement of the United States government in the Vietnam War. At the time of writing this, Streep is currently nominated for her twenty-first Academy Award and, even though I don't think she'll win (my guess is either Frances McDormand for her performance in Three Billboards or Sally Hawkins for The Shape Of Water), she still gives an impressive performance. Streep thoroughly captures Graham's emotions and struggles effectively. Hanks is equally as good and sharply delivers his pieces of dialogue. He was overlooked for an Academy Award, but was still recognised by the Golden Globes. The supporting cast all give solid performances and contribute to the narrative.

Amy Pascal, the co-producer, won the rights to Hannah's screenplay in late 2016. When Spielberg read the screenplay, he decided to direct the film as soon as possible, citing that "when I read the first draft of the script, this wasn't something that could wait three years or two years - this was a story I felt we needed to tell today". Most films take roughly a year to make, however, Spielberg completed production in November last year, after principal photography began in May that same year. Despite being rushed, critics have praised the performances (particularly those of Streep, Hanks and Odenkirk) and noted the film's allusions to the administrations of Richard Nixon and Donald Trump. It's because of the controversy surrounding the current President of the United States why The Post's story is as relevant today as it was back in the 1970s.

In his 28th collaboration with Spielberg, John Williams composed the score for The Post.  The score uses a combination of both orchestral and sparse, light electronic elements throughout. His score emphasises the intensity of the second half of the film. Originally, Williams was attached to compose the score for Spielberg's next feature, Ready Player One, but, because of both films having similar post-production schedules, Williams opted to score The Post instead.

Along with Streep's Best Actress in a Leading Role nomination, The Post is currently nominated for Best Picture. While, again, I don't think it'll win, it deserves this accolade as it's the type of film the Academy nominates. Films with strong performances by talented actors with a compelling and interesting story. It's so easy to watch the trailer and think that this it's slow and boring but it's far from that. Spielberg's expert direction makes this a compelling watch from start to finish. For me, this was an incredibly interesting film as, although I had heard of the controversy surrounding Nixon's presidency, I didn't know much about it, however, The Post has given me that insight. 

8/10