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THE POST - FILM Thread


Alex

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, Marcy and I are heading out in about 5 minutes to go into Boston to see The Post (it opened in Boston today).

 

Has anybody else here seen the film yet?

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I saw it during the week of Christmas. Not a bad film, great performances with a few standout moments, but unlike Munich (which was produced under similar circumstances), to me it felt very much like a film that was rushed into production

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5 hours ago, Corellian2019 said:

 

I saw it during the week of Christmas. Not a bad film, great performances with a few standout moments, but unlike Munich (which was produced under similar circumstances), to me it felt very much like a film that was rushed into production

I don't understand generally what's the hurry in making certain films.

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Yeah. Perhaps with a little more time to complete one more draft of the script, the film would have had more space to breathe, and as a whole, left a more lasting impact. On the other hand, there may also be deleted scenes that flesh out the characters. But even so, it's my top candidate for the Best Editing Oscar; I was surprised by how quickly we arrived to the end of the film

 

Incidentally, the decision to open the film with a Vietnam battle scene and close with the Watergate burglary reminded me of how Lincoln began and ended

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On 1/5/2018 at 7:55 PM, filmmusic said:

I assume now it has finished? How was it?

 

http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/24637-what-is-the-last-film-you-watched-newer-films/&do=findComment&comment=1439950

 

 

 

On 1/6/2018 at 12:54 AM, Corellian2019 said:

I saw it during the week of Christmas. Not a bad film, great performances with a few standout moments, but unlike Munich (which was produced under similar circumstances), to me it felt very much like a film that was rushed into production

 

To me it felt kind of like they just filmed the first draft of the script, instead of taking the time to polish it up to a much better and tighter one.  They certainly did their research about the era, what else was going on, and what The Papers meant and the right things for the characters to say about them as they are pouring through them, etc, but it wasn't the most coherent story from beat to beat around that.

 

For example, there's a bit at one point where the lawyers ask Hanks if he can guarantee that no soldiers will be harmed if they publish, and he says yes, they ask are you sure? and he's like "no, of course not!"  etc etc.  Then like 20 minutes of screen time later, they ask him again, and he says like "100% guaranteed" or something, without any scenes in between that had anything to do with that aspect.  

 

Also, the entire courtroom ending is rushed.  The movie needed another 15-20 minutes to really get into what the court case was really all about, and the ins and outs of it, and how it was affecting our characters.  Instead it was more like an afterthought.

 

Finally, the scenes with Nixon in the White House were extremely poorly done, I thought!  I mean, it isn't necessarily a bad idea to use the real phone calls with a stand-in miming to Nixon's side of them, but the stand-in just did a terrible job, like his movements where never lined up with what Nixon was saying at all.  It was such an odd misstep!

 

Finally, the Watergate ending was kind of a pointless button to end the film on, I thought.

 

 

 

On 1/6/2018 at 6:13 AM, filmmusic said:

I don't understand generally what's the hurry in making certain films.

 

Obviously they wanted the film out in theaters now, in the midst of all the news stories about our current president trying to shut down the news again, like Nixon does in this film.

 

 

 

23 hours ago, Corellian2019 said:

Yeah. Perhaps with a little more time to complete one more draft of the script, the film would have had more space to breathe, and as a whole, left a more lasting impact. On the other hand, there may also be deleted scenes that flesh out the characters. But even so, it's my top candidate for the Best Editing Oscar; I was surprised by how quickly we arrived to the end of the film

 

I see your thoughts mimic mine in a lot of ways!  A rewrite or two of the script would have helped out a lot indeed.  Yea, they did get to the ending (the court stuff) sooner than expected (or at least what FELT fairly quickly), but I still feel the court stuff should have been delved into deeper.

 

Quote

Incidentally, the decision to open the film with a Vietnam battle scene and close with the Watergate burglary reminded me of how Lincoln began and ended

 

The Vietnam War opening was quite a surprise to me, really wasn't expecting it at all.  And yea, the Watergate ending was just as random and unconnected to everything else in this film and showing Lincoln get shot was to that film.

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9 minutes ago, Jay said:

Obviously they wanted the film out in theaters now, in the midst of all the news stories about our current president trying to shut down the news again, like Nixon does in this film.

 

The Award season. I don't see any reason why this movie should have been ready for christmas if not for that.

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1 hour ago, Jay said:

Obviously they wanted the film out in theaters now, in the midst of all the news stories about our current president trying to shut down the news again, like Nixon does in this film.

 

Not at all comparable. Tweeting "fake news" is not shutting the news down.

 

Nixon actually got the DOJ to send NYT a cease and desist order and court injunction.

 

Vastly vastly different. 

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2 hours ago, publicist said:

 

The Award season. I don't see any reason why this movie should have been ready for christmas if not for that.

 

Yeah, Jay's right about the reason for making it now, but awards are why it was rushed. Hasn't it got to be showing in n number of US cinemas by a certain date for oscar eligibility?

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1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Of course, but the link between the presidents regarding media "dislike" is obvious.

 

What the film-makers think about the connection and the reality of what connection exists are two separate things.

 

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On ‎1‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 5:40 AM, Jurassic Shark said:

If they wanted the movie to be as relevant as possible, I understand the hurry.

But this is the ultimate irony. the movie was made not merely to be relevant, but to make a statement that could actually make an impact in terms of the public consciousness.  By rushing it and turning out an obviously rushed and average film, it will not make such an impact.

 

Trump is not going anywhere.  They could have spent a few months polishing things up and delivering a 4 star film, instead of something on par with a Law and Order "ripped from the headlines" episode. 

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1 hour ago, TheUlyssesian said:

What the film-makers think about the connection and the reality of what connection exists are two separate things.

 

For now, yes.

 

I see the film as a comment on freedom of press; as something one cannot take for granted, but always keep fighting for.

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24 minutes ago, Tom said:

But this is the ultimate irony. the movie was made not merely to be relevant, but to make a statement that could actually make an impact in terms of the public consciousness.  By rushing it and turning out an obviously rushed and average film, it will not make such an impact.

 

Exactly!

 

24 minutes ago, Tom said:

Trump is not going anywhere.  They could have spent a few months polishing things up and delivering a 4 star film, instead of something on par with a Law and Order "ripped from the headlines" episode. 

 

Oh, its better than that, its just not as good as it could have been, or as good as it deserved to be.

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2 hours ago, Jay said:

Oh, its better than that, its just not as good as it could have been, or as good as it deserved to be.

 

I agree with this. Every word. Except two. 

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4 hours ago, crumbs said:

 

Saw it last night, absolutely loved it. Captivating from start to finish and I was expecting a saccharine melodrama. In fact, it's probably my favourite Spielberg movie since Munich -- it took me several viewings to warm to Lincoln/Bridge of Spies and I only found BFG/War Horse/Tintin to be okay/good. It's a very accessible movie with just the right amount of comedy to balance the drama. It's perfectly paced too, credit to Kahn and his protege for their excellent editing.

 

Streep was captivating and I loved her character's arc, plus all her nuanced idiosyncrasies. You really feel for her unenviable position, especially in that touching scene with her daughter. She thematically and literally "finds her voice" across the movie. And even though you know how the film ends, it really works as a thriller watching her wrestle all these conflicting viewpoints before deciding to publish. And of course, the latter Williams tracks work brilliantly when the moment occurs -- the spotting is simply perfect, as you mentioned. The film didn't need any more or less music to convey its drama.

 

Camera work was vintage Spielberg. All those amazing extreme closeups (that are perfectly scored) of the type assembly, plus the wide shots of the printing room at the end were delicious. Especially loved that elevated shot circling above Streep as she listened over the phone to everyone pleading their case to publish/not publish. Also loved that old-style Spielberg scene in Hanks' office where the intern was describing the girl that dropped off the package while the rest of the team are having a totally different conversation. Very Close Encounters! Can't say I was the biggest fan of the tacked on ending, even if Williams scored it cleverly. It mostly felt unrelated to the core drama of the film, which is ultimately Streep's decision.

 

The cinema was also packed, which surprised me! Not just older folks but even young adults, so it seems to have a nice mix of demographics.

 

Just got out of the theater. This encapsulates my thoughts perfectly (and admittedly conveys them much better than I could have). 

I must confess that, in-between moments of being immersed by the film and in awe of the masterful craft on display, I cracked up a couple of times knowing that somehow Spielberg's next film after this is going to be fucking Ready Player-One. 

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What a wonderful film. The Holy Trinity of Spielberg/Streep/Hanks did not disappoint. Add in a lovely and unobtrusive John Williams score, and this is my favorite Spielberg film of the 21st century.

 

I did not listen to the score album before seeing the film (as I usually do), and I was curious if this was going to be too much music or not enough. It was the perfect amount. As was stated in the Variety article, the music did not get in the way of the performances. The first music cue was when Ellsberg started compiling the papers, stealing them from the office and copying them. Very reminiscent of the pulsing danger theme from "Munich." Then, there's no music for probably 40 minutes. I was not wondering where the music was, because none of the scenes felt like they needed musical accompaniment. 

 

I disagree with "crumbs" when he said he didn't like the tacked-on ending, which I won't spoil. It basically follows up Streep-as-Katherine's comment about not wanting to deal with a situation like this again. I think only those who were alive in the mid-1970s, or know their American history, know why the last two minutes needed to close out the film. What really pleased me is that there were no title cards explaining the aftermath of the events in the movie. We were left to discuss it on our own, but not while the music during the end credits was playing!

 

It's the first John Williams score in 11 years that I liked from start to finish. (Lincoln is a very close second.) At this point in his career, these are the types of films JW should be doing, not trying to fill every second of the next Star Wars music with pointless music.

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Yeah it's a great film. The ending almost me threw me for a loop, it felt like something out of a "planned sequel" (The Spielberg historical drama cinematic universe here we come), even with the watergate set-up, but I eventually got used to it, and in fact I kinda like it now. As usual, Streep killed it in her big scene too. 

 

It's quite U.S. centric, in terms of themes and stories, so I'm not sure non U.S. viewers would enjoy it as much, but I think it's handled very well regardless, and it's straightforward, so I don't think it would be that hard for anyone to follow. One of the year's best for sure, and it's been a strong year for films in general. 

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3 hours ago, Will said:

Finally got to see this today! We ended up having to sit in the front row because the showing was almost sold out, so for the first ~15 minutes or so I was nauseated and dizzy. But after that I got used to it. 

 

Anyway, I really loved it; perhaps my favorite film of the year. Hanks is terrific as always, Streep and everyone else are good too, and the story is fast-paced and thrilling. (I'm not sure, however, if non-Americans will like this movie as much as I did -- a lot of it has to do with First Amendment rights, Nixon, Supreme Court, etc., which may not have as much resonance for foreign audiences.)

 

The really awesome scenes were the type-setting and the printing presses montage. Spielberg mixed JW's music really loudly there and it was awesome!! Truly thrilling stuff. As expected, I had chills during "Presses Roll." I mean, a borderline march for newspaper delivery trucks? Manic crescendos for typewriters? Hell yes! :) Spielberg really let JW go all out there and I'm sure thankful for it.

 

I did think the ending Watergate scene was a little too "inside joke"-ish/tongue-in-cheek, but I still loved it. I was particularly delighted to find out that my second-favorite moment from the score (the almost Mission Impossible-esque stuff in the middle of the final track) was not merely end credits stuff but actually scored the break-in scene. 

 

I'm not American but I followed it very easily. As would I think most people. To be honest, it is actually extremely reductive and simplistic politics wise so is rather easy to understand. And Spielberg establishes the stakes very clearly. So the audience can go along.

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14 hours ago, Bor Gullet said:

Anyone seen this yet?

 

You asked this question on a page full of people talking about having seen the film....

 

 

 

 

 

10 hours ago, Fancyarcher said:

Yeah it's a great film. The ending almost me threw me for a loop, it felt like something out of a "planned sequel" (The Spielberg historical drama cinematic universe here we come), even with the watergate set-up, but I eventually got used to it, and in fact I kinda like it now.

 

 

Isn't "All the President's Men" the sequel, with Jason Robards taking over the Tom Hanks role? :P

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there's 2 things I didn't understand

 

 

 

Why was it so urgent to publish the story THAT day? I mean he war had been going on for decades and  they were the only ones who had the leaked documents so they could have waited the 7 days until the banks couldn't screw them over

 

And what documents did all the other newspapers use when they decided to publish the story in solidarity with the Washington Post?

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They had to publish that day because if they waited for the court's decision, they'd probably get scooped by someone else, as it was revealed late in the film that all those other papers did already have the papers and were waiting to publish.  Furthermore, I think they were concerned of the precedent set that the White House could dictate what they could or couldn't publish.  Even just waiting for the court's decision would be to some extent yielding to the power of the White House.  I think they were concerned that would limit the freedom of the press in the future.

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But the guy picked up the original photocopies of the documents in person from a secret motel room and put them in 2 big boxes and those photocopies took months to make according to the source. There wasn't multiple copies and that was made clear in the film .I don't see how the other newspapers got the documents..there was no  internet back then

 

And they weren't waiting for any court decision before they published...that only came after

 

And that  brings me back to how the other newspapers published the story too

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13 hours ago, king mark said:

And what documents did all the other newspapers use when they decided to publish the story in solidarity with the Washington Post?

 

That was the same question I had when I saw the film.  It wasn't clear to me either.

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18 hours ago, king mark said:

there's 2 things I didn't understand

 

 

 

Why was it so urgent to publish the story THAT day? I mean he war had been going on for decades and  they were the only ones who had the leaked documents so they could have waited the 7 days until the banks couldn't screw them over

2

 

DRAMA. The movie has a race against the time structure. Only possible if there is a deadline. It is justified through the thirst of newspapers to get a major scoop.

 

Honestly, one or even 2 days wouldn't have made a difference to the history of the USA.

18 hours ago, king mark said:

And what documents did all the other newspapers use when they decided to publish the story in solidarity with the Washington Post?

 

 

I gather the papers were widely widely leaked. Such is the case today. Everything leaks pretty extensively.

 

So everyone got it after NYT. And were waiting to see who goes first. Post was the one and thus it is their story we see in the film.

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I'd have to see the movie again to see if the source had made multiple copies in his hotel room . .But they were all randomly placed with the pages out of order so how could that be?

34 minutes ago, TheUlyssesian said:

 

DRAMA. The movie has a race against the time structure. Only possible if there is a deadline. It is justified through the thirst of newspapers to get a major scoop.

 

  But if they waited one day then the whole company wouldn't have been at risk .It felt more like a stupid decision than "courage"

 

There was NOTHING urgent. Those papers were spanning 20 years of "corruption" and didn't really involve Nixon more than the previous presidents or reveal any immediate threat to the US

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1 hour ago, king mark said:

I'd have to see the movie again to see if the source had made multiple copies in his hotel room . .But they were all randomly placed with the pages out of order so how could that be?

  But if they waited one day then the whole company wouldn't have been at risk .It felt more like a stupid decision than "courage"

 

There was NOTHING urgent. Those papers were spanning 20 years of "corruption" and didn't really involve Nixon more than the previous presidents or reveal any immediate threat to the US

 

 

Like I said. It's melodrama.

 

The movie's essentially about printing some articles the next morning. How to make a movie out of it?

 

Throw in complications.

 

Nixon will destroy them!

They will lose all the money!

Legal jeopardy!

The paper will shut down!

They will all go to jail!

 

And the worst complication for a newspaper....

 

They will get scooped by another newspaper!

 

All this is to just ramp up the stakes.

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