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#65 - Spotlight
Tom McCarthy, 2015
Based on the true story of a team of journalists who worked to uncover the truth behind a conspiracy involving child-molesting priests in Boston.
As of writing, Spotlight has become the latest film to win the much-coveted Academy Award for Best Picture, succeeding in spite of some stiff competition from contenders as varied as wilderness epic The Revenant, financial dramedy The Big Short, and post-apocalyptic blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road. In comparison to these particular films, Spotlight seems like an extremely "safe" choice for the award, with its no-nonsense execution of a down-to-earth story lacking just about any kind of external action or thrills. While it takes on a highly controversial subject - namely, that of the rampant pedophilia that exists within the ranks of the Catholic clergy - the film's treatment of its subject matter avoids excess of any kind as it offers a subtle approach to its dramatisation of events. The members of the eponymous team of investigative journalists are professionals who carefully pursue every possible lead despite opposition from all sides; it is Spotlight's meticulous approach to their investigation that feeds into the film's cinematic style (or lack thereof). The general storytelling is as good as it needs to be in order to not feel dull, but it also avoids being ostentatious enough to distract from the emotionally-charged story at the heart of the film. This even extends to certain camera techniques conjuring up associations with similarly realistic films of the New Hollywood era. In addition, renowned composer Howard Shore provides a simple but effectively repetitive piano-based leitmotif to add just the right amount of pathos to the proceedings.
Above all else, Spotlight is buoyed by a solid ensemble cast where actors tend not to rise above one another but complement one another perfectly, which definitely fits with the film's overall commitment to delivering a hyper-competent work. There are still stand-outs; Michael Keaton does very well is the closest thing the film has to a protagonist as the principled yet flawed head of Spotlight, while Mark Ruffalo gets a role that involves a lot of pronounced mannerisms and emotional heft. Rachel McAdams plays a similarly conflicted character who also has to deal with personal conflicts that arise from the troubling nature of the investigation - while it's a fairly basic role, she knows how to play it in concurrence with the film's effectively low-key vibe. Also of note are John Slattery and Liev Schreiber as a pair of conflicting higher-ups in the Boston Globe hierarchy, plus Stanley Tucci proves very dependable as a downbeat but ultimately unfettered lawyer who becomes an important ally for Spotlight. The decision to use largely unrecognisable actors definitely helps to ground the film in a harsh (yet not entirely cynical) reality. Spotlight can be written off as a film where the focus on depicting actual events (or at least depicting the discovery of actual events) and delivering a timely screed about an important subject can prevent it from coming across as a genuine classic. However, even without such factors working in the film's favour, it is still a well-made ensemble drama and its success at the Oscars does not feel especially unearned.
Tom McCarthy, 2015
Based on the true story of a team of journalists who worked to uncover the truth behind a conspiracy involving child-molesting priests in Boston.
As of writing, Spotlight has become the latest film to win the much-coveted Academy Award for Best Picture, succeeding in spite of some stiff competition from contenders as varied as wilderness epic The Revenant, financial dramedy The Big Short, and post-apocalyptic blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road. In comparison to these particular films, Spotlight seems like an extremely "safe" choice for the award, with its no-nonsense execution of a down-to-earth story lacking just about any kind of external action or thrills. While it takes on a highly controversial subject - namely, that of the rampant pedophilia that exists within the ranks of the Catholic clergy - the film's treatment of its subject matter avoids excess of any kind as it offers a subtle approach to its dramatisation of events. The members of the eponymous team of investigative journalists are professionals who carefully pursue every possible lead despite opposition from all sides; it is Spotlight's meticulous approach to their investigation that feeds into the film's cinematic style (or lack thereof). The general storytelling is as good as it needs to be in order to not feel dull, but it also avoids being ostentatious enough to distract from the emotionally-charged story at the heart of the film. This even extends to certain camera techniques conjuring up associations with similarly realistic films of the New Hollywood era. In addition, renowned composer Howard Shore provides a simple but effectively repetitive piano-based leitmotif to add just the right amount of pathos to the proceedings.
Above all else, Spotlight is buoyed by a solid ensemble cast where actors tend not to rise above one another but complement one another perfectly, which definitely fits with the film's overall commitment to delivering a hyper-competent work. There are still stand-outs; Michael Keaton does very well is the closest thing the film has to a protagonist as the principled yet flawed head of Spotlight, while Mark Ruffalo gets a role that involves a lot of pronounced mannerisms and emotional heft. Rachel McAdams plays a similarly conflicted character who also has to deal with personal conflicts that arise from the troubling nature of the investigation - while it's a fairly basic role, she knows how to play it in concurrence with the film's effectively low-key vibe. Also of note are John Slattery and Liev Schreiber as a pair of conflicting higher-ups in the Boston Globe hierarchy, plus Stanley Tucci proves very dependable as a downbeat but ultimately unfettered lawyer who becomes an important ally for Spotlight. The decision to use largely unrecognisable actors definitely helps to ground the film in a harsh (yet not entirely cynical) reality. Spotlight can be written off as a film where the focus on depicting actual events (or at least depicting the discovery of actual events) and delivering a timely screed about an important subject can prevent it from coming across as a genuine classic. However, even without such factors working in the film's favour, it is still a well-made ensemble drama and its success at the Oscars does not feel especially unearned.