THE POST is Steven Spielberg's attempt to make a newspaper-focused political thriller along the lines of ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN or SPOTLIGHT. As a film, it fails in comparison to either of those classic movies, although it does have plenty of reasons to tune in. The direction is adequate and the material fine, although this isn't as good as BRIDGE OF SPIES as it doesn't have the same heart. The main problem I have with this is Meryl Streep, giving a performance EXACTLY the same as the one in THE IRON LADY. Her character feels extraneous, shoehorned into the story to add a modern-day feminist spin, and the whole moral dilemma she faces is more than tiresome. The good news is that, back in the newsroom, an all-but unrecognisable Tom Hanks is at the top of his game and leads the meat of the story, which is involved and suspenseful enough to keep you watching and engaged in the tale that plays out.
Review of The Post
