“In the First Amendment the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”

***

Timely though The Post may be, it won’t go down as an instant gripper. It certainly takes its sweet time in getting its claws stuck in. Yet even with the most middling of Spielberg’s work you can expect impressively assembled cinema and this, albeit not his most thrilling effort, is no slouch on the technical front. Where it really earns its bragging rights though is with its stunning cast, who are on hand to deliver performances that make even the talkiest of the film’s multitude of talky scenes suitably intriguing, headed up expertly by the brilliant Streep and Hanks.

Rating (out of 5):