The Post (2017)

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.

Firing on all Oscar-bait cylinders, _The Post_ is much more about the facts of the events than an insight into the people involved in them. It has some laughs in it, but it's far from a comedy.
It's all "what" and no "why", but also, _The Post_ is built on this HUGE will-they-wont-they question with massive ramifications ("Will Nixon and LBJ be exposed") and it's what the whole 108 minute runtime is building up to, but... We already know. The things that happen in _The Post_ are real events that are common knowledge. So it's kind of... The mystery of the moral quandary was answered before you ever pressed play. I think with the state of journalism and even more so the state of politics the way it is now in America, that _The Post_ was a very timely film, and with a cast like this assembled, obviously nobody in it is bad.
But does _The Post_ deserve the awards consideration it has gotten? Personally, I don't think it does.
_Final rating:★★½ - Not quite for me, but I definitely get the appeal._