Spotlight

I've rated almost a hundred movies and I've only ever given out six 10s on this website. I don't rave about many movies and I am tough to please when it comes to film, but this film is absolute brilliance. It is flawless. This one earns its 10 and it is one of the best films I have ever seen.

Everything about this film is brilliant. The camera work is great and the score is underrated. However, what makes this film is an absolutely genius screenplay that is acted to perfection. This script will rock your world. I am not Catholic. I didn't grow up in a deeply Catholic area, but this film still affected me greatly. Everyone should see this movie for that reason. That is something that you have to see for yourself.

However, I'd like to focus a little more on the technical aspects. Beyond the fact that the subject matter is heavy and extremely important to American and world culture, this movie does everything else right. The acting is absolutely phenomenal. This is particularly true for Ruffalo and McAdams. I adore the subtlety with which they both act. It is brilliant. There isn't much more to say. This film is pure brilliance from its opening frame to its closing moment. For both cinematic and cultural reasons, this is a film that every person should see.

Relevant, powerful and astonishing. Shocking, criminal and true. These are the only words to describe this film as it has literally put the 'spotlight' on the systematic cover-up by the Catholic Church of mass molestation and sexual assault acts performed by the priests in the Boston archdiocese that were trusted in the communities they represented. These 'men of God' preyed on the weak and vulnerable for years and the most powerful religious sect in the world did nothing but sweep it under the proverbial carpet. 'Spotlight's' dramatic importance has immediately drawn the attention of film lovers who crave a riveting production that dives deep into a very real circumstance that has impacted every corner of the globe.

Tom McCarthy could not have been at the helm of a better film and what he has been able to achieve in terms of wrestling the attentions of the audience is worthy of the highest praise. McCarthy, along with Josh Singer have written a gritty story that pulls no punches and it isn't afraid to get right into the heart of the required subject. For 'Spotlight' to have been received by the critics as well as it has it had to stride unapologetically into this unbelievable and sordid affair. It needed to expose the sensitive and controversial information that some people may find confronting but in the context of this outstanding production, absolutely essential. It destroyed lives and revealed the blatant arrogance of this pious organisation.

The all star cast jumps right out at you even before the opening scenes are shot up onto the screen. Based on true events, 'Spotlight' pushes all the right buttons from the beginning. As the name implies, 'Spotlight' refers to the investigative journalism team who report for the Boston Globe newspaper. They are thorough, relentless and will stop at nothing to expose headline stories that affect the everyday lives of normal American's. When the new editor, Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber), drops a potentially explosive story in the lap of Spotlight chief, Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton), about allegations of sexual abuse involving the Catholic Church, Robinson and his loyal crew go about uncovering one of the greatest criminal cover-ups in human history. The deeper their investigation goes the more sadistic and shocking the outcome becomes. Fingers are pointed, people are accused and the list of clergy involved becomes larger and larger. The whole situation ceases to become a Boston problem and grows to a worldwide exposure. Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo are part of the investigative team as young committed journalists Sacha Pfeiffer and Mike Rezendes respectively. McAdams performance is award worthy and Ruffalo is fully engaged in a role that matches his talents. Michael Keaton has found his niche in Hollywood as a sort after mentor showcasing another strong performance as the tenacious and hard hitting Robinson. The real 'cherry' in the cast is the presence of the magnificent Stanley Tucci as Mitchell Garabedian who represents the victims in the whole saga. Tucci adds the class that takes 'Spotlight' to another level with an engrossingly accomplished performance.

This is the best journalistic drama since 1976's 'All the President's Men'. Tom McCarthy has centred his narrative within the confines of the Boston Globe's newsroom as it should have been. 'Spotlight' doesn't shy away from the true nature of newspaper drama and the audience benefits from such an authentic setting. Top shelf acting from some of the very best young talent sparks the fire that captivates the viewer. Throw in some true icons in Keaton and Tucci and 'Spotlight' has the perfect balance. This film will be classified as the very best in its category and has set a benchmark in terms of confronting realism. Sit back and enjoy.

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

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.