In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in 2001, another major event shook the world. Every year we see a film that just shakes us to the core. In 2013, it was the powerful and tragic film, 12 Years a Slave. In 2014, it was films like Selma and Imitation Game. This year, it’s Spotlight. “Spotlight” is directed by Tom McCarthy, and the cast includes: Michael Keaton, Rachael McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, and Stanley Tucci.
A small group of journalists known as, Spotlight–working for The Boston Globe–uncovers a dirty secret in the Catholic church. A new editor by the name of Martin Baron (Schreiber), brings the team a new story. John Geoghan, a priest, was reported for the criminal act of pedophillia. Apparently, Cardinal Law was fully aware of this, and yet did nothing about it. Baron takes the story to Robby Robinson (Keaton), head of Spotlight, and urges him and his team to pursue the story. Together, Spotlight begins to investigate, and they soon discover that nearly eighty priests had been suspected and reported for child molestation within the church.
Making a film with subject matter such as this is a daunting task, and they pulled it off superbly. First of all, what fuels this film isn’t as much it’s characters as it is it’s true story. The real stars of the film are the real life victims of this scandal. So many children were affected by this crime, and continue to be haunted by it for the rest of their lives. All of the performances are excellent, despite the lack of characterization. If I had to pick one performance, it would probably be Mark Ruffalo’s. He’s arguably the most moral and relatable person in the film. However, as I said, this is more story driven than anything. There is a burning feeling throughout the film for justice, and I think that’s one of the things that made this film so powerful. The team spends their time fighting tooth and nail to get the story out.
There is never really a sense of there being good guys vs bad guys in this film. Part of what makes it so compelling is it’s honesty. It’s incredibly easy to paint one side as unjust and in the wrong, wile making the opposing side the glorious heroes. There are no heroes in this story–not really. While the film exposes the true horror of what these priests did, it doesn’t shy away from criticising our protagonists as well. The ending of the film isn’t hyped up at all. We’re used to seeing a film like this end with a sense of joyous accomplishment. The heroes reach their goal, and everyone jumps and shouts. Not here. The film ends in somber justice. The damage has already been done. The victims just want justice, and so will the audience.
“Spotlight” is most definitely one of the most powerful films of 2015. Everything about this film is perfect. The direction from McCarthy is very impressive, as is the screenplay by McCarthy and Josh Singer. This is a true story that needed to be brought to the big screen. It is truly painful watching this story unfold. Nothing is more painful or emotional than watching the victims break down while sharing their stories. This film is dedicated to the victims.
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