The Post is supposed to be suspenseful drama about the Pentagon Papers, but all the twists are very predictable, and even feel like they are added just for effect. The worst offender is likely the ending, because it adds nothing to the story. It is also really slow, and there is serious pacing issues, as the ebb-and-flow is all over the place, which just makes the whole experience worst. As a result, I fell asleep during parts of the movie.
The acting is supposed to be the strong suit, with the headline talents of Hanks and Streep, but they basically sleepwalk through the performance. For the very few times in her career, I feel Streep really underwhelms, because her portrayal of the owner of the Washington Post as meek and unsure is just not believable, and perhaps even derails the movie. While the real Kay Graham did express her lack of confidence in her memoir, that was during her first few years as the head of her newspaper. By this point, she had already been at the helm for a couple of years, so she should have been a lot more confident than what Streep demonstrated on screen. I just do not believe her actions through her portrayal.
Honestly, what happened to Spielberg? He is supposed to be one of the best director in the world, and while he still demonstrates impeccable techniques, I am underwhelmed by his most recent works. It seems like he has lost all faith in the audience, and his movies basically beats the message over the head of everyone, with a lot of unnecessary scenes. As a result, they feel overly simplistic and one-dimensional.
I give it a 4/10. It is Oscar bait, and for those who are curious, they can check it out. Otherwise, it can be missed.
