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What’s more, that lofty distinction doesn’t even take into account his ongoing decade-plus run of “merely” excellent films – including Minority Report, Catch Me if You Can (one of my favorites), War of the Worlds Munich, War Horse, Lincoln and Bridge of Spies – any one of which would likely be considered a masterpiece in the career of any other director. That’s why it irritates me to read a fellow critic smugly dismiss Spielberg, usually complaining about his sentimentality or lack of subtlety (which happens more often than you’d think). I’m not saying everyone must love the same filmmakers I do, but to write him off as past his prime when he’s still doing incredible work is baffling to me.
Look no further than The Post, Spielberg’s latest film, which opens in wide release this weekend and appeared on my list of the Top 10 Films of 2017. Even though it’s set in the early 1970s, it’s clearly symbolic of this critical time in American history, when the First Amendment is under attack, dangerous terms like “fake news” are used as punchlines and we’re having long-overdue national conversations about the toxic consequences of sexism.
If Spielberg at the helm wasn’t enough of a selling point, the film also stars two of the world’s most revered actors, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, appearing on the big screen together for the first time. Furthermore, Spielberg began shooting the film on May 30 and had the finished product ready to go on November 13 – an astounding five months later. That The Post already exists is shocking. The fact that it’s one of 2017’s best films is practically a miracle.
In the years before the Washington Post uncovered the Watergate scandal that forced Richard Nixon to resign, it was considered a wannabe national publication, constantly in the shadow of the New York Times. That irks editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks) and Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper. Still, they’re making headway and are on the verge of becoming a publicly traded company when the story of the decade falls into their laps.
The Pentagon Papers, a sprawling document providing detailed evidence that the government – including four Presidents – lied to Americans about the Vietnam War for three decades, appears in the Post’s newsroom like magic. Bradlee wants to publish immediately, but Graham is hesitant because the inevitable fury that would come from the White House could jeopardize the upcoming public offering and put the paper out of business.
As she battles skeptical businessmen who believe she only got her job because of her late husband, Graham has a monumental decision to make. Should she play it safe, meaning the First Amendment dies a nasty death, or go to war with one of the most volatile Presidents in American history. Nothing whatsoever to do with the current political climate, right?
History buffs will be in heaven with The Post, not just because of the obvious parallels to the bonkers era we’re now living through, but because of how hard Spielberg clearly works to capture the period detail (with the help of Ann Roth’s fantastic costume design and outstanding production designer Rick Carter), as well as the way he foreshadows important cultural events to come – soon after the events of the film and decades down the road.
Sure, more cynical viewers might roll their eyes at Streep’s character walking through a sea of young women gazing at her with admiration or think that the final scene is too on-the-nose, but that’s pure Spielberg. He has always understood the power of awe and emotion, and those two sequences certainly provoke those sensations.
The film’s most powerful weapons are a strong screenplay from Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, and an incredible cast. Streep and Hanks are excellent, which probably goes without saying at the point; but if we don’t mention it, we risk taking them for granted in the same manner that some erroneously dismiss Spielberg. Streep gets nominated for Oscars practically any time she goes on a film set, so it’s a big deal when I say this might be one of the strongest performances of her career.
Hanks matches her step-for-step, abandoning his everyman persona to portray a dogged power player who risks everything for what is right, but also because if he wins he’ll emerge stronger and more respected than ever. He absolutely deserves a Best Actor nomination, but the field is so crowded that my gut tells me he’ll be overlooked. That’s a shame considering he hasn’t been nominated since 2000’s Cast Away. That’s ridiculous.
These two superstars are backed by one of the most killer ensembles in recent memory. Being an iconic director has it perks, like hiring any actors you want for your movie – even if they’re in minor roles typically below their pay grade. Who’s going to tell Spielberg no? Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, Bradley Whitford, Tracy Letts, Sarah Paulson, Bruce Greenwood, Carrie Coon, Matthew Rhys, Alison Brie, Jesse Plemons, Zach Woods, Michael Stuhlbarg and several others all deliver stellar work with a limited amount of screen time.
Current events movies typically don’t do well at the box office because many viewers don’t want to fork over 10 bucks for something they can watch on cable news for free. But Spielberg, Hannah and Singer brilliantly filter our modern existential crisis through the prism of a crucial moment in recent history, allowing those who want escapism to distance themselves, while the rest of us engage with the narrative on a deeper level. It makes for a powerful film, one that I think we’ll be talking about for years to come.
The Post is rated PG-13 for language and brief war violence.
Grade: A
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