Steven Spielberg’s newest movie The Post features twenty-one time nominated Academy Award actress Meryl Streep, known in other films such as 1979’s Kramer Vs. Kramer and 1985’s Out Of Africa. Also featured is five-time nominated Academy Award actor Tom Hanks, from such films as Forrest Gump and Big.

Set in the 1970’s, The Post tells a true story of The Washington Post journalist publishing the Pentagon Papers, which contained classified documents about the thirty year involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War. Katherine Graham (Meryl Streep) had decided to run The Washington Post after the passing of her husband as the first female owner of the company. Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks), chief editor of The Washington Post, is fed up with losing stories to The New York Times, and now has the chance for the story of a lifetime. With other newspaper publishers standing beside them, they are sent to the Supreme Court to plead their First Amendment rights. In a six-three vote, the court rules in the favor of the newspaper relieving and setting forth Katherine Graham’s company.

I walked into this movie not knowing what to expect. All I knew was that this movie was about The Washington Post and the news. By the time I had left the theater, I was so intrigued that I did my own digging on the story and was thrilled to read the original article. The Post brings this historic story to life, and keeps the setting of the 1970’s as authentic as it could be. Showing the struggle of Meryl Streep’s character as the head voice of her company run by men is empowering, and a story that shows that strong women can win in a man’s America. Tom Hanks’ character is a classic Editor-in-Chief that’s always looking for the best stories and demanding nothing but a one hundred and ten percent effort from each and every one of his journalists.

As the movie went own I had noticed other great actors, such as Bruce Greenwood from 2009’s Star Trek as Captain Pike, Bob Odenkirk from T.V’s Better Call Saul as Jimmy McGill, and David Cross, who’s probably best known as Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development. I personally enjoyed a lot of the nostalgia of the 70’s within the film, from the car’s outside to the peacefully apparent hippie protests. Though the film was good, I found that it was more about how The Washington Post came to be so popular and a huge product placement instead of about the Government and the First Amendment, and the importance of The Washington Post to begin a revolution to bring soldiers home.

Overall, although The Post felt like a big product placement for The Washington Post, it had great characters and an amazing story.

   4 out of 5 Spurs.