THE POST...for when history repeats itself

After seen a couple of movies in recent years about the importance of journalism and how the work of some many reporters has changed the curse of a country in some many ways that at this point what could possible be new about it? Well that's exactly where we find the new Steven Spielberg's film "The Post" (2017), a very entertaining drama about the nature of journalism when facing one of the ugliest truths about the government of USA.And this is what makes it relevant for an era where the political climate craves for a reminder of our own mistakes in the past as a last call to prevent history to repeats, and with a major female character at the center of the story, nothing fits better for the time as if was meant to happen this way. Reason why all the A listers  involved in this project, rushed to make it happen just in time for the award season at the end of the year. With actors as Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks leading a cast full of well known actors serving a story that centers more in the events and it's impact in history than in each character, they all play along for the big picture and seems like it payed off since critics and the industry are raving about it. But is it truly one of the best films of the year or just a well done movie served with pedigree credits to make it shinny compared to the rest of the offers?

Let's start with the fact that for some reason indeed history repeats. Why? well because seems like human nature dictates that we hardly learn from our mistakes, been proven that humans are the only animal species that is able to repeat more than once the same mistake. And specially because time puts a spell on us making us move on and forget from dramatic events from the past, so even we complain about certain circumstances now, in a couple of years or decades we won't feel or think about anymore as didn't happen so if we forget about it we are able to make it happen again. And here we are, recalling true events from thee decades ago that expose all the corruption inside our own government, that manipulated society and sacrificed thousands of it's young citizens for a plan that was meant to fail but thought was necessary for the country. But while things were managed in different ways, making people believe that were fighting for the safety of their country and protection of their home, it's not until top secret reports came out to the public eye that we are expose to a reality that is far from what were told about. And this is one of the major plot lines of the movie, following the story of these documents while coming to the surface while, obviously, others will try to keep them hidden as threat to the government and others try expose them and show everybody the truth behind a war that is taken so many lives and that in contrary to what has been said, indeed was provoke to happen.

On the good guys side we have a group of journalists, the ones with access to masses, via newspapers. Their job and mission to tell the news and keep everybody informed pushed them to fight to bring these news to every home they can reach. And so big houses like The New York Times took the first step and published the big news just in time to be targeted by the government, reason why the very local Washington Post gets in the picture just in the rise of making the company public and having a board of white men in charge trying to control the owner, a middle aged woman that faces the fact of dealing business in a land  that diminishes her and a group of possibly allies that don't do other than criticize her decisions . But soon they will face a reality bigger than them, either pursue their mission as a newspaper or look after their own business keeping this small and local while trying to do their own business inside the house. But not for her. She is a woman that has grown founded to the news and the paper to let it pass, and even she is not a reporter herself, realizing that what she has in her hands is something bigger than her and her business and both are just a part of a bigger chain that can transform the country, them included. And so she will arm a team that will help her to make this happen and expose those papers with a limited time to go printing and not missing the morning news.

All this serves as a very entertaining view of what makes journalism a challenging and necessary industry in every country. Someone has to bring the news, no matter how bad or goo are they. Keeping informed a whole nation is a serious business and a headline can change anyone's life. With excellent performances played by a multi stellar cast under the wing of a talented but recently over rated director that has lost his touch to tell stories in a very unique and personal way to fit the standards of a modern industry, the film doesn't disappoints neither excites. It's more about seeing this happening all over again what really feels like an urge to run and re witness history. After losing our capacity of remember the past, seeing this events from an inside perspective give us the idea of a very familiar feeling, one that is living among us now days. And as the story centers on how the events happen for all the ones involved, the idea of re calling a scandal screa out for a bigger one, where our actual government is hiding information from us, what is really happening inside the big house? What are they not telling us? All this theories and declarations from insiders suggesting a dark matter cooking in pursue of the agenda of a few that want to go back to that era and no matter how that will affect the country is supposedly for the better of it. Is it? Do we really need to go back from where we come from? Isn't that the first reason why we left? Why we evolve and left that behind? We can't keep sacrificing a majority for the best will of  a few . That's what the post works for. A slap in the face in hope to shake us out and take action.

Focusing on the struggle of the head of a newspaper trying to survive when other big corporations are taking all the big news leaving them social scandals and local reports, limiting their reach to a bigger crowd, specially since they are located in the heart of the political system of the country. As a woman, she has to face the fact of being in charge without even being noticed. The white men kingdom is still ruling and has left her behind to take care of the social campaign of the business leaving all decisions to he men on her board. So when this opportunity arise and she has the last word, will have to trust her gut as part of the business that she has always been but also facing the reality of not being a reporter herself, but following the real purpose of her business, reason why she relies on the good spirit of her floor manager, played by Tom Hanks, in a role that feels like any other of his previous performances but let the story follows her journey more than any other of the characters in the story. At the end, the movie and the story brings back a hot topic that thanks to all the talent involve will bring the audience to the theaters in hopes to resonate a forgotten major historic point that seems to repeat itself and remind us why the importance of keep informative before taking action or follow the word of the rules that pretend to win by speaking loud and promise ideals that only benefit a few but come serve in a shinny plate that can convince anyone who doesn't want to follow change and prefers to sick in the same point against being more progressive and liberal but keep close minded values that lead a whole country to war with the rest of the world and bringing just peace to ones hidden behind white walls making decisions for the sake of their own agenda rather than to fill up the purpose of their chair.