Review: 'The Post'

If you are aware of my top 100 films of all-time list, then you will notice Steven Spielberg is the most common director in that list with eight.

However if I was being brutally honest, it has been quite a while since I have been wowed with a Spielberg feature.

In the last 10 years, Spielberg has directed six films and only one is highly exceptional. For me, that is War Horse. Lincoln and Bridge Of Spies were very good, but not quite on that instant classic level. The fourth installment in the Indiana Jones and The Adventures Of Tintin were decent, and The BFG was disappointing.

I'm not sure if it's age or he is just not being ambitious or passionate enough in his projects. Whatever it is, I have been missing that Spielberg magic that made him the king of film-makers in the 80s, 90s and the early 2000s.

Now while I think his upcoming sci-fi action/adventure Ready Player One could be the Spielberg film I have been waiting for, this latest release I felt had potential to do that.

I felt this because not only does it cover a lot of topical subject matters that are quite important right now, despite this being a true story set in the early 1970s, but we are also seeing acting titans Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep together in a film for the first time. I find that quite amazing — two of the most successful and popular actors that are still working in the industry have never been in the same film.

After seeing it, while I did feel pretty entertained, I could not ignore my slight disappointment in it. For a project that contains such strong and successful people in this industry, you can't help but expect a lot from this.

The first half, while informative, did not feel clear as to what their approach to this story was. But as the film went on, I could tell the important of this historic event a lot more and I think the strengths of Spielberg start to be a lot more noticeable. That also included some great sequences involving printing presses that can really amaze you on how they actually work.

The acting was pretty solid, with a few very good moments. Hanks and Streep were pretty solid at best, and had good enough chemistry to keep the film moving along. I would say Hanks was the more engaging of the two, but I think this was due to Streep doing a more subtle performance.

A stand-out was Bob Odernkirk. He was a nice surprise, and could well have given the best performance out of everyone.

There were not many other performances to mention. But it was great seeing Bruce Greenwood who is always a safe pair of hands, and Jesse Plemons who is now becoming a regular in ensemble casts.

As expected with a Spielberg film, the technical side of the film is impressive. The cinematography is particularly strong. There were many great tracking shots, and the general look of it made you remember that gritty, almost nicotine-stained look of the 1970s.

Also, it wouldn't be a Spielberg film without a score from the film music icon himself, John Williams. I felt his latest score worked really well, especially in the second half. It did feel integral in many important and well-executed scenes.

Sadly, I have a fair few negatives about it. But thankfully, none of them I feel are major ones.

With the story being what it is, you do expect a sense of tension, people rushing round, lots of rapid editing. But what you get is something that lacks all of that, for the most part. We do get some sense of 'the clock is ticking'. But only towards the end. Everything else felt very pedestrianised and you never felt the stakes or the possible consequences.

There were also many scenes, especially towards the end, that were on the verge of being super cheesy. Thankfully, I think Spielberg managed to refrain himself enough to make those scene worthy of being executed in that way.

But while a lot of moments felt like it dragged or seemed to focus on minor topics, the film remains a pretty entertaining watch. There is enough of Spielberg's strength in this to keep the film moving along, as well as the solid performances.

But with the people involved behind the camera and quite a stellar cast, you do naturally expect more from them. That is why I felt somewhat disappointed by it.

It seemed to be more interesting from a learning point of view, rather than a piece of entertainment. Therefore, this could be a perfect film to show in a history or even media studies class. There were very little impactful set-pieces that made me feel the gravity of the situation.

I think the main reason for this getting awards buzz is the timing of this film. It is really on-point, and I think Spielberg knew that this historical story needed to be put on the big screen right now. This would make a great double feature with All The President's Men.

Rating: 7/10