"The Post" Review - A Bird That Flies To The White House

Oh god how I’ve missed Steven Spielberg. His last film that I loved dear to my heart was “Lincoln” (2012), and before that, it was “Catch Me If You Can” (2002). His streak of winning movies has decreased significantly over the years, but “The Post” is a reminder of why he’s still one of the best directors in modern day history.

For now, I’m going to push aside why this film is important in 2017. We’ll get to that later. First, I have to compliment the acting. Of course, every lead duo to come after this acting wise is basically over as Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, to no surprise, create an acting bond that uplifts this film to heights not touched in years and stays resonant with people’s brains as they drive home. But it’s not just them. Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Burce Greenwood, Jesus the acting from every single man and woman is simply A+ material and beyond. Next of course is the writing. Of course, the man behind another fantastic newspaper drama, Spotlight, gets another knockout with its addicting lines and structure. As well as the lighting and cinematography, that has simply improved so much more over the course of some so-so Spielberg films. I was nervous when I heard that Spielberg was trying to rush this movie to come out in 2017, but thankfully, everything that man rushed to get out in 6-9 months proved to pay off. Also, hats off to John Williams, for making a score that was surprisingly more memorable than “The Last Jedi”.

I would say it’s not as good though as “All The President’s Men” and “Spotlight” but it’s still superb and tremendous. There are a couple of overdramatic moments here and there that feel fictional or sappy, and I didn't like how it ended so much, but 99% of this creation is perfect. In truth, you can’t really compare this film with other newspaper dramas. The 2 films above were incredible because they told the story of how newspapers broke stories that no one ever believed or thought about. “The Post” does tackle that kind of subject with the Pentagon Papers, but there’s way more at stake with this situation because of the government trying to block the press from being free. And that’s why this film is so important in 2017. “The Post” is not about the Pentagon Papers, it’s about why the press needs to be free. Whether a liberal or conservative leadership, you can never trust the government, and this story does so well at shining a light on why the press needs to be part of the checks and balances of this country. Both sides of the isle have been ruined by the press. Look at Al Franken for god’s sake. But whether you like the stories that come out or not, there is corruption all around the world. If there’s not a medium to expose that corruption, then we all lose. And I guarantee you there will be people trying to taint this movie. “It was a 6-3 ruling because the SCOTUS was liberal at the time”, “How dare you attack Trump’s decisions”, blah blah blah. This movie is here to give the middle finger to Trump’s hate of the press, but also explains why it’s so important to trust them in the process.

I bet this film will win best picture at the Oscars. It’s not my most favorite film of the year, but because of its importance in today’s society, it probably will. But unlike Moonlight, thank god it’s actually made with passion, gusto, and determination for the exposure of the truth.

Two Nebs Up!