Cinema Prescription

Synopsis: Katharine Graham is the first female publisher of a major American newspaper — The Washington Post. With help from editor Ben Bradlee, Graham races to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spans three decades and four U.S. presidents. Together, they must overcome their differences as they risk their careers — and very freedom — to help bring long-buried truths to light.
Cast: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys
Screenplay: Liz Hannah, Josh Singer
Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is one of my (if not the most) favorite directors, so every time he releases a movie, it’s an event. Pairing him up with, arguably, the most prolific actor *and* actress of today’s generation, with a movie about one of the most controversial political topics in US history, you can smell the “quintessential Oscar bait” from afar. But although THE POST is still a conventional movie in a sense, there’s a less-traditional filmmaking in the presentation.

For a movie about investigative journalism, it lacks a grit punch that SPOTLIGHT, or even ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN brought. It feels like a lighter, more condensed version of those two. But it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Instead of incorporating more layered issues, the script by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer heavily focused on the virtue of free press and, to some extent, female empowerent. Linking its timeliness into the current USA’s political state. That being said, sometimes the unabashed Oscar baitiness was ever so present and in some instances did feel too on-the-nose.

Both Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, thankfully did not overperform their characters, a trait that they sometimes do, having performed many real life characters. They gave wonderful perfomances but I think are far from their best. Joining them is a great ensemble of actors, but Bob Odenkirk was the standout for me.

THE POST is a middle-tier Spielberg films, but that is much better than other directors’ top tier anyway. Gripping (for a slow-paced story), urgent, timely, with a touch of Spielberg’s fondness for sentimentality. Spielberg’s craftmanship is always a wonder, with the playful camera movements and majestic cinema construction. The first half was kinda slow and there were moments that overtly melodramatic and patriotic, but overall it’s still a compelling drama about the perseverance of the press against an oppression from the government, and a touch of feminsim in the patriarchal system. [B+/B]

A copy of my review on Instagram.