This film makes me feel like I just attended a Masterclass in direction. Walk in to learn how to present raise of stakes and hold tension in film. Mind you, the subject of this film isn’t something that gives scope for visual action, but Spielberg holds you with bare phone calls. His staging makes the tension get to you easily. Makes one wonder if he is actually making rulebooks in the name of films. The film-making on display is overwhelmingly neat.

There’s always this guilty pleasure in seeing stories of the press taking on the government, be it from any country. Full power to heroes who worked the huge stakes stacked against them to bring truth out into the open.

One of the most powerful images of the film, comes post the climax, where we see Hanks and Streep taking a walk in the printing press, amidst giant, vertical streams of newspaper flowing to their respective stages of printing. This is where the theme of the film gets absolute closure – we have seen it being resolved by the narrative, and now it also gets a fitting visual closure. I am a big fan of how Spielberg creates resonating imagery to empower his stories, and this film is no exception.

This is a film that is relevant for now, and for all times to come. Go watch it.