Spotlight Review

In a year when Messrs Innaritu and Miller have been descending into the frozen wilderness and causing carnage on the fury road, Spotlight director Tom McCarthy brings us down to earth telling the true story of the Pulitzer prize winning journalists of the Boston Globe, and their ground breaking story of systemic child abuse among the catholic clergy in their city and beyond. There’s something so impressive about seeing a film that doesn’t rely on any overzealous artistic flourishes to mask potential flaws, instead it’s a film that hangs entirely on the strength of its story, and Tom McCarthy does a brilliant job at condensing the events into a seamless narrative. Seeing the Spotlight team in action reminds you of the cinematic intrigue of investigative journalism, the endless interviews and meetings and researching shouldn’t be cinematic, but just as audiences were engrossed in Woodward and Bernsteins work back in All the President’s Men so too are they invested emotionally in the investigations of the Spotlight team.

                The emotional investment is in no small part down to the brilliant performances from a cast on top form. After a career redirection last year in the Oscar winning Birdman, Michael Keaton brings a stoic if occasionally weary nature to his team leader Robby. Brian D’arcy James and Rachel McAdams as Matt and Sacha do really strong work, particularly M

cAdams whose character takes on most of the interviews with the victims and manages to pull off the tricky balancing act of pushing for answers and being aware of the sensitive nature. Mark Ruffalo will be taking a lot of limelight given that his performance as Mike Rezendes is definitely the showiest of the bunch, but he never plays anything too big, Mike is passionate but it never feels forced, when he eventually cracks and loses his temper, it’s entirely deserved. The one performance that will be under-appreciated by most, is Liev Schreiber as The Boston Globe’s new editor Marty Baron. Marty is the start to this whole story, he’s an outsider, he’s not from Boston, he’s a Jew in a heavily Catholic city, and it took an outsider to look at something and see that it didn’t seem right. Schreiber gives one of the most wonderful understated performances there’s ever been, everything is small smiles and slight nods, or furrowed brows and minor head shakes, it’s the type of acting that can only really be picked up on film and it’s a treat to behold.

                McCarthy has created a very strong picture that works because of the emotional level that it registers with people. It’s a film that rests on its story, and Spotlight rises or falls on how interesting the story is. Fortunately this is a story to get you angry and passionate and eventually fill you with pride for the willpower these people showed for their search for the truth. (5 Stars)