4.5 stars out of 5
Through Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, Spielberg and Hanks covered World War II pretty intensively. So now the fellas have moved on to Vietnam. Not the actual fighting, but the press’s key role in uncovering White House deception of the public in that very troubled era. The result here is yet another brilliant piece of film-making from one of the best directors of all time.
Yet, I must admit I wasn’t all, “Oh boy, I gotta rush out and see The Post!” Like Spielberg’s Lincoln, beforehand it seemed like it might be a little on the serious/boring side. But — and this includes Lincoln — Steven has never steered me wrong, back from when I was the little kid who opened the door in Close Encounters. (OK, OK, not me.)
Also, kudos to Ken Burns and Lynn Novick for their superb Vietnam documentary series, which piqued my curiosity about the war and provided vital background information for watching this film.
There is so much good stuff going on here. The leads, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, are flat-out fantastic as you might expect. Hanks is Ben Bradlee, strong-willed, idealistic editor of the Washington Post. Streep is the newspaper’s publisher, Katherine Graham, and her character — and Streep’s performance — are of special note. It’s 1971, so a woman in charge was viewed with much suspicion and condescension. (Boy, times sure haven’t changed, have they?) Then there’s the fact that her dad passed the paper on to Graham’s husband, and “Kay” only took control when he passed away. So, even more doubts about her capability. She’s also quite the socialite, meaning Graham is chummy with many of the people in power that the Post covers — such as U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.
This becomes an issue when Neil Sheehan at the New York Times obtains a copy of the “Pentagon Papers,” a massive classified report revealing how things have really been going in Southeast Asia. (Spoiler alert: Not very good.) Bradlee wants those papers too, so the Post can catch up to the Times, so to speak. Will Graham help get them from McNamara? Or if the reporters get the documents from another source and publish them, will it hurt her buddy Bobby Mac? And what about the investors in the paper — this could spell financial ruin and mass layoffs. And there’s the matter of the Department of Justice slapping an injunction on the Times. Would the Post be next? Who’s ready to go to jail?
We’re used to seeing a tough Streep, but this is a timid one. And that makes Graham all the more fascinating. It’s easy to make hard decisions when you’re a full-speed-ahead son of a bitch, but when you’re quiet and nervous and contemplative, it’s that much more brave. By sticking to her guns, she becomes a great role model for young women. (In a very Spielbergian moment, Graham strides triumphantly through an adoring, inexplicably present crowd of only women — but by god it works.)
And because this is a Spielberg film, you get top-flight actors up and down the cast list. I even wondered if there were a couple of instances of inside-joke casting. Early on we see Matthew Rhys as Daniel Ellsberg, sneaking a copy of the Pentagon Papers out of the Rand Corporation. Well, any fan of The Americans is wondering if Ellsberg is actually a Soviet spy. Then, in the Post newsroom, it’s a Mr. Show reunion, with Bob and David standing right next to each other. This is the most likable performance I’ve seen from Cross — maybe he should pack on some pounds for roles more often — but Odenkirk is the real revelation. It’s his most soulful acting ever, and another example of a meek character stepping up. Best supporting actor? Not implausible. We also get strong performances, in various sizes, from Carrie Coon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Allison Brie, Jesse Plemons, Zach Woods, Sarah Paulson, Bradley Whitford, and Tracy Letts.
The movie is thrilling — a real-life race against the clock — that also shows the rivalry but overarching brotherhood of the free press. But what makes this film so important is its timeliness. The Times and the Post take their stands in defiance of an out-of-control President (Nixon) hell-bent on destroying the hated media. Sound familiar? If The Post wins Best Picture, I would not be disappointed. See it post-haste.
Jack Silbert, curator