Watched it tonight

At the end of every year I put together my Top 10 and I wanted to make sure I saw The Post before putting together my Top 10 of 2017.

Having now seen it I can say that I think it's a good film, but not a great one.

Hanks and Streep both turn in great performances, Hanks especially, and they are backed up by an EXCELLENT supporting cast who are all bringing their A game. Spielberg's direction is also on point, employing a lot of camera work that subtly enhances the viewing experience and doing an excellent job of really invoking the essence of the early 1970s. It all feels very authentic.

However, narratively the film is a bit of a mixed bag. The film is two hours long and the first hour moves pretty slowly. When you hit the halfway mark and start really thinking about it, you understand that the movie laid the foundation for everything that was to come but at the same time you have a sense that not a lot actually happened. The second hour, however, is more interesting and moves along at a brisker pace.

I'm not sure how close to history the film stays, but I do think that the message is relevant in any era. We need a free press. It's the press's job to make sure that news is reported fairly and accurately; it's the government's job to stay the fuck out of their way in that reporting and respect the 1st Amendment.

All in all, I think it's a solid film that's worth a watch, but not one of Spielberg's best. At times it feels like he's trying to fill out a complete movie with not quite enough narrative material, but he pulls it off well enough that this is only a minor complaint.

I'll give it a 7.5.

BTW, fun fact: From what I heard earlier today, Spielberg had already finished shooting Ready Player One when he started work on The Post. I guess that just goes to show you how much post-production is involved with RPO. And I guess it also shows how much of a talented workhorse Spielberg is, juggling two major productions at the same time.