We're reaching the end of a deeply divisive year for America. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the election of Donald Trump, and the 365 days since the most shocking political upset in modern history have been even more stunning. Every norm of civil discourse has been shattered. Every week brings about some new crisis for the White House, and there's been a steady revolving door of advisers coming and going. We've seen attacks on individuals, other countries, and the political establishment in D.C., but perhaps no group has been attacked more by President Trump than journalists. With the Russia scandal intensifying and Bob Mueller's investigation creeping into Trump's inner circle, the president has only increased his verbal assault of major media outlets, calling them all "fake news." So in a year with all of this happening, there's no better film for Hollywood to celebrate than a saga about devoted journalists fighting an oppressive government regime. Ever since it was rushed into production by Fox, Steven Spielberg's The Post has been an Oscar front-runner. At this point, it seems like the perfect mixture of an awards-worthy cast and topical material. With the release date looming, the studio released the first trailer- check it out below!
I've been skeptical about The Post's Oscar chances from the beginning. Even with all that's going on in the news, it's hard for me to imagine another movie about journalists winning so shortly after Spotlight, and I think the rushed production schedule and rumors of editing trouble could catch up with it. And on a personal level, I have a few issues that are holding back my excitement for this film. To put it simply, I haven't cared much for Spielberg's recent run of talky dramas. Lincoln and Bridge of Spies are both dignified, respectable movies, but they lack the imaginative cinematic spark that I've always attributed to Spielberg. While I'm holding out hope for Ready Player One, I guess we have to consider if he's past the point in his career where he can make something as boldly fun as Jurassic Park or as viscerally horrifying as Saving Private Ryan.
As for my second problem, this very well could just be the editing of the trailer, but The Post looks almost egregiously over-the-top, so convinced of its dramatic self-importance. If you go back and watch All the President's Men, the gold standard for journalism movies, you'll find that the film never feels like it's trying to convince you of the stakes. While the danger creeps in at the end, there are no lines of dialogue like "This could be the end of the Washington Post!" The film is workmanlike and quietly paranoid, and it is utterly gripping for 137 minutes. Spotlight is great too, but even that film falls into some of the traps demonstrated by this trailer. I don't know, I love all of the people involved with The Post, but I feel like this could end up as a perfect example of why you shouldn't rush a movie into production just because the subject is in the news.
The Post will open in limited release on December 22 before expanding nationwide on January 12. Look for the early buzz to spread in late November.
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox
I've been skeptical about The Post's Oscar chances from the beginning. Even with all that's going on in the news, it's hard for me to imagine another movie about journalists winning so shortly after Spotlight, and I think the rushed production schedule and rumors of editing trouble could catch up with it. And on a personal level, I have a few issues that are holding back my excitement for this film. To put it simply, I haven't cared much for Spielberg's recent run of talky dramas. Lincoln and Bridge of Spies are both dignified, respectable movies, but they lack the imaginative cinematic spark that I've always attributed to Spielberg. While I'm holding out hope for Ready Player One, I guess we have to consider if he's past the point in his career where he can make something as boldly fun as Jurassic Park or as viscerally horrifying as Saving Private Ryan.
As for my second problem, this very well could just be the editing of the trailer, but The Post looks almost egregiously over-the-top, so convinced of its dramatic self-importance. If you go back and watch All the President's Men, the gold standard for journalism movies, you'll find that the film never feels like it's trying to convince you of the stakes. While the danger creeps in at the end, there are no lines of dialogue like "This could be the end of the Washington Post!" The film is workmanlike and quietly paranoid, and it is utterly gripping for 137 minutes. Spotlight is great too, but even that film falls into some of the traps demonstrated by this trailer. I don't know, I love all of the people involved with The Post, but I feel like this could end up as a perfect example of why you shouldn't rush a movie into production just because the subject is in the news.
The Post will open in limited release on December 22 before expanding nationwide on January 12. Look for the early buzz to spread in late November.
Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox
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