Spotlight

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Brian d'Arcy James, Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup
Directed by: Tom McCarthy
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2015

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: The Boston Globe's "Spotlight" team investigates allegations of the Catholic Church covering up priest molestation in Boston.

Review:

Tim: Spotlight is an incredible movie- one of the best films of 2015 and an amazing achievement. It tells a powerful, disturbing true story. I was mesmerized watching the film. It grabs hold of you in the first scenes and doesn't let go until the credits roll. This is an important movie and I'm happy it won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. This is an excellent, very deserving movie.

On top of all the reasons why I was looking forward to this film, one of them is that I actually attended the filming of a couple of scenes in the film. Only one made it into the final cut, but I saw Rachel McAdams filming and I actually exchanged a few words with Tom McCarthy. This is the first movie I'd ever seen being filmed, so it was personally satisfying to see the finished product. It had a lot to live up to, though. Fortunately, it does.

Tom McCarthy directs a truly incredible film. This is a little surprising, as he's known as an actor first. This is his fifth directorial effort, but it's wonderful. It's a stirring, intense, exciting movie that flies by. He manages to direct a large cast, tell an unforgettable story, and tug at our emotional heartstrings. Truly, this is a worthwhile, wonderful movie.

Now, the subject matter is incredibly difficult to deal with. I hated to think about how dozens and dozens of priests in Boston and hundreds more around the world have ruined the lives of innocent people- the very people they are supposed to serve. It's a disturbing, disgusting fact that "men of God" abuse their power for sexual gratification, not caring that they are decimating the lives of children. It's awful and sickening. This movie needed to be told, though, because people tend to forget and forgive. The unconscionable actions of these horrible men should never be forgotten. I'm glad that this film put their sins on display. The movie does get into some of the details, because it needed to. It's never gratuitous or unnecessary, though.

The main focus of the film is on the Boston Globe's Spotlight team. I loved that this film hearkened back to the days when newspapers and the media could actually perform real reporting that made a difference. It was less about the ratings and more about doing good. This film takes places a decade ago, but it reminds us of All the President's Men and films of that ilk. That was a very good thing. It was fascinating to watch the behind-the-scenes look at the hundreds of hours of effort that went into producing this story. It's fast-paced, detailed, and so interesting to see this work unfold. It was riveting stuff.

The cast is incredible. Mark Ruffalo does a remarkable job here. I was glad he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor- his performance is powerful. I loved the scenes where he was able to show real emotion. He is a fantastic actor and his talent was on full display here. Rachel McAdams was a nice addition, too. She doesn't have as many showy moments, but her straightforward performance works and the movie is better as a result. Michael Keaton continues his career renaissance with another strong supporting turn. Like McAdams, he doesn't get the incredibly flashy scenes, but his performance is powerful nevertheless. Liev Schreiber's acting talent was front and center. I really enjoyed his performance and it was a reminder that he's one of the most underrated talents in Hollywood. The rest of the supporting cast is all very good as well- this is a film loaded with great acting talent.

Spotlight is one of the very best films of 2015. It tells a powerful, heartbreaking, important story. It reminds us that all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men (and women) to do nothing. It's a reminder that evil must be confronted, lest it be allowed to continue. This is a testament to the thousands of people the world over who had their lives adversely impacted by sinful, evil priests. It's also a hopeful film, one that nods to the fact that we as a society can be better in the future than we have been in the past. Tom McCarthy directed a landmark film that became an instant classic.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: All the President's Men, Network, State of Play