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about 1 month ago

The Post

a review by CinemaSerf

This is essentially a film about the freedom of the press - and how that terrifies even the most "democratic" of institutions. Disillusioned military analyst (Matthew Rhys) discovers the extent to which the US military had been misleading the government and population about the Vietnam War and takes some sensitive information to the Washington Post (initially, this is more about who gets the scoop - them or the New York Times) but rapidly the Post - edited by Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) decides it must get there first and with the support of it's ballsy publisher Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) they take on the political and judicial establishment to win the right to publish their story. The performances, under Steven Spielberg's direction, are fine - nothing much to write home about. The film is about journalism and the right of all of us to know what's being done in our name (and with our troops/money etc.), and is told in a adequate fashion.