50. The Post; movie review

THE POST
Cert 12A
116 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, brief battle violence

I admit it, tears were starting to well. The Post not only reminded me of my first years in journalism but how far our industry has declined over the decades.
It harks back to a time of fearless editors whose interest was only the news and were not mired in advertising and marketing considerations.
And it reminds us of when being a reporter prompted admiration rather than a spit of disgust.
The detail of Steven Spielberg's film both in its story-telling and its backdrop are superb (I entered the industry in the 1980s but the newsroom and print factory were very reminiscent of ours in Birmingham).
It’s plots surrounds the true story of 1971 publication of secret government papers relating to the Vietnam war and inevitable American defeat.
But it is also a brilliant character study of the owner of the Washington Post Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) and its editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks).
Graham and Bradlee are faced with potentially going to jail if they decide to print articles based on the aforementioned Pentagon Papers.
Their dilemma comes at the same time as a share issue of the financially-strapped Post and just as it is trying to establish its credentials as a truly national newspaper in opposition to the New York Times.
Spielberg deftly develops a story of mutual mistrust/loathing between the presidency and the media (where have we heard that before) in parallel to that of a woman in a very male-dominated environment.
In Streep's hands, Graham initially seems to be dominated by loud board members but what transpires is a woman of deep thought and conviction.
Hanks is, as always, brilliant as Bradlee - capturing the image of old-style editors to perfection (they really did used to put their feet on the table).
Meanwhile, Bob Odenkirk should make us all feel proud by reprising the superb reporting of Ben Bagdikian.
Being a senior executive at a newspaper used to require dedication and nerve (I am no Ben Bradlee but have had scores of conversations with lawyers over the years - one even said I might end up on the sex offenders' register because we had printed a potential contempt of court from a freelance on my day off!).
I fear that nowadays resource doesn't allow for hard-hitting journalism and, worse still, the public gets the sort of celebrity diet that its appetite for tittle-tattle demands.
Sadly, the horrors of some of its number breaking the law through phone-hacking mean that the public has little desire to campaign for the press.
In 1971, the press served the governed not the governors. This is a phrase which is an anathema to Donald Trump and even some senior politicians in the UK but they are also words which are foreign to many of the current media themselves.
I yearn for the return of giants of journalism of the ilk of Katharine Graham, Ben Bradlee and Ben Bagdikian and I thank Spielberg, Streep, Hanks and Odenkirk for bringing their work back to life.
The Post is fantastic. I hope it inspires great reporters of the future. Go watch it.

Reasons to watch: a superb cash between politicians and journalism
Reasons to avoid: can't think of a single reason

Laughs: three
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 10/10

Director's quote - Steven Spielberg - "We really feel more than being a prequel to All The President's Men that this is what allowed All The President's Men to become made."

The big question - Will journalists ever be this well-respected again?

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