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The Post Review

What I liked: The lemonade stand. The tie ins to Water Gate (though I'm not totally convinced that the two events were that closely related). I didn't really know anything about this event, so it was interesting to learn about what was at least characterized as the rise of the Washington Post to a respected national newspaper and the rise in animosity between the press and the presidency. I liked the linograph machine. I've seen those in museums.

What I didn't: Paisley. The formal MuMu. Mustaches. Excessive side burns. Polyester. So essentially 70's fashion. Also rotary phones and pay phones. Some one should really invent an automatic page feeder for xerox machines, not that I don't enjoy dramatic photocopying, it just seems like it could be a whole lot more efficient. Who ever decided to stage a loud heartfelt conversation in a room with sleeping children clearly did not consider the fact that those children's parents would probably prefer that they stay asleep. There were two main messages of the movie: the importance of a free and independent press and the changes in society that allowed women to run large companies. The women part seemed sort of shoe horned in and didn't mesh as well with the rest of the plot. There was more swearing than I would have expected in a 1970's professional environment. Since the New York Times published the story first it would have been interesting to see more of that side of the story. The other story that I would be interested in knowing about is the two poor corporate lawyers (a phrase one doesn't usually think of putting together) who had 1 day to prepare their case for the federal court and one week to prepare for the Supreme Court case. I don't usually love legal dramas but that scenario is already giving me stress without any dramatic music, montage shots, or dramatic poses.

Who should watch this? It's a solid drama with good acting, especially good if you want a little bit of politics thinking.

Would I watch it again? I was glad to see it. It was timely and an important story but if you are just hoping for a movie about a newspaper you might have other options. After extensive thinking, I know of six movies about newspapers: Citizen Kane, Pelican Brief, Newsies, Spotlight, His Girl Friday, and the Post. Of those Newsies is the most fun, Pelican Brief is the most exciting, and Spotlight is the better drama. Don't watch Citizen Kane.

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