Political dramas usually follow a certain plotline. You see the noble underdog taking on the powerful, keeping them in check when they abuse their power. All the President’s Men, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and 2016’s Spotlight represent the best of this cinematic sub genre. When Steven Spielberg takes this on, you expect great things.
The Post hits all the classic political drama tropes and Spielberg’s trademark cinematic mastery are all over it. Buoyed by a great performance from Meryl Streep and a compelling last act, the film is hampered by an unusually strange performance from Tom Hanks and an opening two acts that take a very long time to get going. The script is sometimes heavy handed as well, and despite having two masters at work, it leads to an entertainingly average experience.
Freedom of the Press…and Investing
Katherine “Kay” Graham (Meryl Streep) and Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) are an unusual pair. Graham is the inexperienced owner of The Washington Post who is constantly overruled by the more experienced men around her. Bradlee is a hard charging editor in chief of Graham’s paper often derisively described as a pirate and is often one of those men who thinks he knows better than Graham. The two become allies as The New York Times publishes the Pentagon Papers, a study that reveals the U.S. government knew that they couldn’t win the Vietnam War but continued to lie to the American public as they escalated the conflict. The Nixon Administration files an injunction against the Times, but Bradlee is determined to publish the papers in The Post when he gets his hands on them. If he does, Graham could lose the paper her family has owned for generations. Will freedom of the press win out?
Well of course it does…but that’s not the point. The Post is all about the journey to that end. It rightfully addresses the freedom of the press in the face of an administration that wants them to play nice. In today’s world, this is a worthy issue to tackle.
The Post takes a very long time getting to the meat of its plot. The first act (And much of the second) is spent establishing the stakes. We get several scenes of Graham talking to her board, phoning investors, and attending high society parties…it’s not exactly riveting viewing. You would think Bradlee’s side of things would be compelling, but his search for the Pentagon Papers takes a while to get going as well, as a strange amount of time is spent establishing The Washington Post as a “small time” newspaper.
Some people will be turned off by the incredibly deliberate pacing of the first half. The film is just under two hours, but feels longer because of this issue. However, Spielberg fans will enjoy his cinematic touches. Teaming once again with cinematographer Janusz Kaminki, The Post has their recognizable traits everywhere. From the tight direction (No shot feels wasted) to the (Now trademark) grey sheen and flooded back lighting, the film is quite beautiful. He lovingly recreates the Washington of the early 1970s.
When The Post finally does get into the meat of the plot, Spielberg’s direction really stands out. As Bradlee races to publish the Pentagon Papers and Graham tries to appease her investors, the film takes on a thriller’s pace. Maybe it’s the film’s early deliberate pace, but the plot becomes incredibly compelling at these moments. Even though you know exactly where the story is going, the direction and pacing makes you forget that.
Meryl Streep is great as usual, leading the all star cast. She brings humanity to Graham, a character that may have been alienating considering her high society roots. She is simply a woman trying to maintain her family’s newspaper and she feels the very real pressures of that responsibility. Streep’s performance is both natural and genuinely emotional, providing the only real person in the film.
Wasted Cast and Heavy Handed Messaging
On the other hand, Tom Hanks gives us a strange performance. It’s not bad…he is actually very entertaining as the blustery Bradlee. But it’s very much a performance. Maybe it’s the affected accent or the script, but Hanks never feels natural. His performance becomes so broad and sometimes over the top that it can be a bit jarring. You never believe that Hanks is Bradlee...you only see him performing.
Bradlee and Graham are supposed to become close through all of this, but you never truly buy it. Part of this is due to the script…their friendship feels more like plot convenience than a natural progression of the characters.
The rest of the cast is loaded with accomplished actors, but it feels like a waste. The only other stand out among the supporting cast is Bob Odenkirk as reporter Ben Bagdikian. We have Tracy Letts, Alison Brie, and Michael Stulhbarg in what amount to throwaway roles. It feels like a wasted opportunity to bring such gifted actors into what amount to bit roles. The wonderful Sarah Paulson gets pretty high billing despite little screen time as Bradlee’s wife and is ultimately wasted. All she does is tell Bradlee to stop being a sexist pig to Graham.
While Spielberg’s direction is mostly on point, his choices (And the script by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer) feel a little too on the nose at times. There is a scene late in the film where Graham is surrounded by admiring women. While it’s a noble moment (And if it actually happened…apologies, I am unfamiliar with the actual events), it feels so ham fisted. How did these women know about Graham’s role? Only those closest to her would know.
It should also be pointed out how The Post seemingly downplays the role of The New York Times in the events. Bradlee and the other newspaper men rightfully point out The Times and its high reputation in their world. The Washington Post is portrayed not only as the underdog, but as the catalyst for the court case that forms the conclusion of the film. Doing a simple Google search reveals that the actual people involved at The New York Times at the time are not pleased at this. For a film that talks about telling the truth, this is a worrisome choice.
Political Drama By the Numbers
In any other hands, a film like The Post would feel like an average political drama. But with Spielberg’s direction and Streep’s flawless performance, it almost rises above its flaws. That said, those flaws do take away from the experience. This is a compelling drama once it gets going, but an uncharacteristically odd performance from Hanks, bad pacing, and a sometimes cliched script lead to solid if unspectacular film.
SCORE: 7.5 OUT OF 10