Spotlight

Sometimes, a film of this type makes a real impact... just sometimes... But, it very often doesn't have any impact at all like in the case of movies like Dark Waters (Dupont) or Deepwater Horizon (BP) or Love & Other Drugs (Pfizer/Eli Lilly) or The Big Short (Banks) or Thank You For Smoking (Tobacco)... I'd like to think that this film had at least a measurable impact on society and more specifically, the amount of sexual abuse cases in religion... and that in itself, is commendable.

The film does a good job not only focusing on the main cast of characters, but also spends some time focusing on the sub-supporting characters, like the 'survivors' in the film and spends a good amount of time on the investigative part of the whole story as well... journalism like this didn't just fall out of the sky... it took months and months of hard researching and interviewing many many different people...

They obviously took some creative license wrt. the events and timeline of certain parts of the film, but overall about 90% of the events shown in the film actually happened. And overall it's a good film and a fantastic docu-movie that should be viewed by all at least once.

By coincidence I watched this film only a week after listening to the editor in chief of Huffington Post UK say that authentic writing cannot come from paid journalists, which is why they do not pay their writers (although Adriana Huffington seemed fine with the millions she got when she sold the website). This stuck in my mind when watching this very fine drama about how the Boston Globe reporters uncovered and exposed a mass cover-up of abuse within the Catholic Church. Also in my mind was a sense of disbelief that this true story is not too much more than a decade old – the mass abuse of children by Catholic Priests now just seems such a known thing now that it is hard to imagine a time when it wasn't.

Perhaps because this is so well known, the film is compelling because it focuses on the story of the story, focusing on the journalism. This gives the film the challenge that in terms of action it is mostly people typing, people on the phone, and lots of talking. This it manages really well, building a compelling but robust drama that builds well and takes the viewer along with it. The subject matter means that the emotional side is not left behind either, and the film deftly reminds us of the people (not just the facts) in ways that are natural and integrated, not sentimental or manipulative.

McCarthy directs with professional control, and standards are high – mostly noticeably in the casting. It is not easy to point out one lead, because so many famous faces are here, and all of them do their job in a way that integrates with the rest – there are no really showing moments, no moments where you feel someone is pushing for an Oscar; it is a real ensemble piece, with too many good turns to start to name them all. The end result is that strong writing, and respect for the process of journalism, combines with the importance of the true story and the strong delivery of all aspects to produce an engaging story which carries emotional and professional weight.

Before you consider watching "Spotlight", I STRONGLY urge you to think twice. It isn't because I think it's a bad film--it's amazingly good. But it's also a difficult film to watch--particularly if you or someone close to you has been a victim of sexual abuse. I know that in my case, it was particularly tough because I am a retired psychotherapist and used to specialize in working with sexual abuse victims and perpetrators...the latter, which, I think benefit very little from treatment (which is much of the reasons I changed careers).

The story is about not only the discovery of a huge number of pedophile priests in the Boston parish by Boston Globe reporters but the organization's discovery that the problem went all the way to the top. In other words, even the beloved Cardinal Bernard Law KNEW about the many, many victims and yet did nothing to discipline them or restrict their access to more victims. But the film doesn't just talk about so much that we know to be true today but it covers the stop by step process by which the paper began and completed the investigation.

Why did I give the film a 10...particularly since I almost never give films such high scores? Well, the reason is that the folks making the movie really, really cared about the subject matter and getting it right. Instead of focusing on making money with the film and including the usual glitz and glamour, the filmmakers chose instead to emphasize realism above all else. Normal looking actors (such as Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo) are used...and they make efforts to keep them normal looking. Additionally, the film has a relatively slow and deliberate pace--again as they weren't interested in making a pretty or Hollywoodizing the production. Overall, a great film made greater because the folks making it really, really seemed to care and wanted to get it right...which showed great sensitivity for the subject matter and the victims. Great film!

Going into the theater to see Spotlight, I had read the rave reviews and knew I was in for something special. This movie did not disappoint! Being from Boston, this movie really made me think about my life growing up, as a lot of "what ifs" came to mind. "What if" I went to church every Sunday..."what if" I was gullible enough to have a priest lure me into his lair. Spotlight goes straight to the heart of this amazingly sad (and apparently never-ending) saga of the Catholic church and the amount of abuse priests have inflicted on hundreds of victims. The acting is all-around fantastic, from Mr. Keaton to some actors that I am not familiar with, which is an aspect of this fine movie that makes it so profound. Tense throughout, I was saddened to hear that this abuse is an epidemic and probably will never be stopped. The exclamation point was when a member of the audience stood up and told the rest of us "...I am a survivor..." WOW...

'Spotlight' to me was a very worthy Best Picture winner. Even if it didn't do much for me, which it did, it would still be appreciated for what it set out to do and would have been applauded for trying.

It took on a very heavy subject, that is still very much relevant today, and does it in a way that's riveting with a strong emotional core, strong insight that illuminates and tells of stuff that we didn't know (that leaves us shocked and very angry) and not fall into the trap of having too much of things that we knew already. It also never feels mawkish or preachy, traps that it also could have fallen into.

While it is a deliberate and relatively slow-paced film, it didn't leave me bored for a second, instead gluing me in with its excellent performances across the board, how it tells its story, it's beautifully balanced screenplay and sheer class. Tom McCarthy's direction has all the class and professionalism that 'Spotlight' needed.

Other strengths are the way it's filmed, it's very atmospheric and evocative in its detail and the cinematography is gritty and ravishing. The music fits beautifully, 'Spotlight's' script and story are engrossing and quietly intelligent and the characters are written compellingly.

Acting is excellent across the board. Both Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams give career-best performances worthy of award recognition, particularly Ruffalo. Michael Keaton's performances here and in the previous year's 'Birdman' are his best in years, a very commanding turn. Brian D'Arcy James are up to their level.

Overall, a riveting and brave film that does wonders with a difficult subject matter. 10/10 Bethany Cox