The Post is both a testament of the times it represents in its storytelling, as well as the times in which it was made. It is difficult to watch The Post without thinking of the #metoo movement, the times up movement, and at times even more prominently, to think of the current lack of faith in the mainstream media.
Although an enjoyable movie, which is well acted (especially by Meryl Streep). I tend to think that The Post has a flaw that prevents it from claiming to be an excellent movie. It is too preachy. At times The Post´s writers seem to forget about show don’t tell. Even when they try to show, the images on screen seem too blatant to be incisive commentaries.
This obviously is not to say that we do not deserve to preach about gender issues, and the value of a free press. That is beyond obvious. Yet, we must not forget the value of art as commentary. Commentary that should not be about grandiose but hardly real monologues or blatant visual metaphors. The only sense in which we get a real emotional grasp, an empathic understanding of Graham´s situation, is through the acting of Meryl Streep, especially towards the climax of the movie, when tough calls are made.
Overall, The Post is an enjoyable, yet forgettable movie. A clear attempt to “get some message out” considering the times we are living in. I wonder if the movie may age well in time, as it could be viewed in years as both a testament of the far past (the story they tell) as well as how art dealt with the times. If that is the case, I do hope that The Post is not the best we can offer.
3/5
