The Post (2017)

In 1971, The Washington Post is in a crisis. The family owned newspaper is losing money and now decides to go public to raise capital. But more importantly, they have an opportunity to publish the so called Pentagon Papers which expose the government corruption and lies behind the Vietnam war going back to the Truman era. But publishing it may be the very destruction of their paper. Political films are problematic. Often well intentioned, they are too often heavy handed and preachy. At best, we're lectured to and at worse, we're treated like morons and get hammered over the head until we "get it". If you're going to make a political film, this is the way to make it! While Steven Spielberg's hand is assured, it does sometimes get just a wee bit heavy but this is a solid political thriller along the lines of Z and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN. Meryl Streep as Kay Graham, the paper's owner and Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee, the paper's editor give first rate performances. The kind of solid acting that is too often taken for granted. Streep can be annoying actress-y at times but here, she shows why she's considered the best actress of her generation. I'm not much of a fan of Spielberg's "serious" films but this may be his best "serious" film yet. Good stuff. The impeccable cast includes Sarah Paulson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tracy Letts, Bruce Greenwood, Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, Bradley Whitford and Bob Odenkirk who gives my favorite performance in the movie.