Directed by:
Tom McCarthyCinematography:
Masanobu TakayanagiComposer:
Howard ShoreCast:
Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Brian d'Arcy James, Stanley Tucci, Doug Murray, Sharon McFarlane, Jamey Sheridan (more)VOD (1)
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Starring Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Michael Keaton, Spotlight tells the gripping true story of a team of Boston Globe reporters who launch a fearless investigation into child abuse allegations against the Catholic Church. What they eventually uncover is a shocking citywide scandal; almost ninety priests guilty but never convicted, legal settlements done in private, and a systematic cover-up of the abuse by church leadership. Determined to leave no stone unturned in their hunt for the truth, their investigation soon threatens to bring down some of the city's most powerful figures. Capturing the high-pressure world of in-depth reportage, Spotlight is a smart, thrilling depiction of journalism at its best. (Entertainment One)
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As the hours pass since watching it, I find it to be better and better, because although the topic tempted tabloid controversy or impartial coverage from both sides, the chosen format of investigative journalistic procedure ultimately suited it best. The film can be accused of being detached and of the absence of the other side's perspective, but the captivated reporters, working on minimally sketched personal levels, are so fascinating that it is hard to accuse them of anything else. The only flaw I actually see is the "wannabe Fincher style," where they go for precise camera axes and the targeted coldness is too tight at times, not intrinsically lively. In any case, investigative journalists could not have asked for a better compliment; the painstaking work, the fact-checking, and the willingness not to go after the headlines are actually admirable.
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Procedural minimalist journalistic drama par excellence, which is about journalism and journalists as much as about the topic of that coverage. In a way, it's a movie coverage, how an honest investigative coverage is made, rather than a journalistic thriller that you might have expected based on what the coverage is about and what it reveals. With few exceptions proving the rule, no room for background or personal issues. Only a few months of obtaining source after source, confirming the credibility of sources, documents, statistics, statements, spending endless hours in the archives, and gradually completing the puzzle piece by piece until a complete disturbing picture emerges. Whoever likes this way of brief portraying things where the events are observed from distance, will clearly enjoy it. It called for being captured and build purely on that case, to focus more on the emotions or the priests, the Church and the victims, and the genre rules of the journalistic thriller could be respected, but there are other movies to do this job. And it is precisely this seeming impartiality and civility that makes it even more impressive and, as a result, more disturbing, as only the simple facts can do, and how it could have never been achieved by too emotional movie.
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The best film of 2015 according to the Oscars, and yet I’m only seeing it now. I might have given that title to The Revenant instead, as it was a remarkable film in every aspect, but I understand why many critics praised Spotlight. The topic it addresses is indeed very important and should be discussed and made known to the public. I was surprised by how the film is approached almost like a documentary in many ways, as it really unfolds like a dramatic stage play. I thoroughly enjoyed the performances, with each actor significantly contributing to the brilliant final result (especially Michael Keaton). The film doesn’t offer intense moments or action scenes, but believe me, the raw dialogues of people describing their horrific experiences will send chills down your spine. Personally, I was never bored during its 109 minutes and the film provided one finely crafted dialogue after another. While I’m not giving it a perfect score, it certainly deserves a place among high-quality cinematic achievements. Undoubtedly. I give it 84%.
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Spotlight is exactly the movie I expected it to be. The well-written script doesn’t let the viewer get lost despite the abundance of names and characters, and it achieves escalation by precisely dispensing information. The actors perform with gusto as though this was the most important theatre play of their career. It’s thus all the more regrettable that their characters play only the roles of peculiar investigative journalists, but none of them has a more direct connection to the investigated subject. But that would make the movie into a contrived thriller, and that’s not what Spotlight is about. Rather, it stays true to the real events and is thus an honest and courageous tribute to real journalist heroes, and most importantly, it addresses a very serious matter. That it does not change anything politically and barely anyone will remember it after a few years is a different story.
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An incredible surprise in how the film is shot with great acting performances. The actors don't unnecessarily draw attention to themselves but act in a way that highlights an incredibly strong theme, showing the corruption of society, primarily American, and its integration of faith into life. But this can be applied to other topics as well. If any film deserves an Oscar, it's Spotlight.
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