Spotlight (2016)

"If it takes a village to raise a child, 

it takes a village to abuse them."

A brave film about brave people.

The Boston Globe uncovers the massive scandal of child molestation within the Catholic church.

What I got in ‘Spotlight’ wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but, for all it was different, it was fantastic.

'Spotlight' is a very subtle, mature and gripping film that takes on some heavy subjects with quiet confidence and a steady hand.

The film follows a small group of reporters on their quest to uncover the horrific scandal of child molestation within the local Catholic Archdiocese. It starts off small with a thread but what unravels is something much bigger and much more disturbing.

It features a flawless ensemble cast of Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Live Schreiber, Brian d’Arcy James and John Slattery. It is a team effort as each player takes their turn while supporting the group. Each performance is different and each one riveting. Michael Keaton, as you’d expect, gives a great performance as Walter ‘Robby’ Robinson, professionally capturing every subtle nuance and emotion within his character. He’s matched by a quiet but impassioned Rachel McAdams and a side-mouth mumbling Mark Ruffalo who steamrolls the film ahead. 

They selected a top line-up of actors and they all deliver. 

It is a sickening subject matter that the journalists are unearthing in the film but it doesn’t shy away from the issues that it is dealing with. Instead, it faces them head on without hesitation and in a matter-of-fact kind of way. A lot of it is shocking to hear but it has to be heard nonetheless. It goes into detail about the crimes and the extent to which the Church covered it up. 

Despite the slow pace of the film, it is gripping. Coming in at around 2 hours, it flies by. Each hurdle the team must overcome leads them to new evidence and information that adds another piece to the puzzle. It is exciting to watch as they put the pieces together and begin to get a glance at the bigger, more horrifying, picture. You genuinely feel a sense of pride and victory as they battle through the corruption and fight to get the story out there.

The film dives into the hard-as-nails reporting world and we get a look into the old school methods and philosophies of the journalism trade. It takes place just on the flip side of the millenium but you get a real feeling of the history of the newspaper world. They're not preoccupied with the Kardashians or simply satisfied to publish empty stories to quench the pop culture obsessed world we live in today. It boils down to good old fashioned reporting. Telling a story that needs to be told and one that could, and will, actually make a difference.

There’s a threatening undertone that is always present, you might say omnipresent, in the shadows of the film in the form of the Catholic Church. You really get a sense of the quiet power and influence the Church has over everyone. Both religious and non-religious alike. It is a threatening and imposing figure that abuses the power and sway that it has and uses it to cover up blatant paedophilia within the Church. Throughout the film, the church is everywhere and is always watching. You may not always see them but they're there. Crosses hung on walls and on neck chains, churches on every corner and religious imagery wherever you look. It took a team of courageous journalists to take on the juggernaut that is religion and expose what was really going on. 

It deserves every Oscar nomination and I see it standing its ground against the other heavy hitters this year. 

Overall, ‘Spotlight’ is a subdued but quietly thrilling piece of cinema that tackles some tough subjects. It brings light to some horrific facts and statistics that are as relevant today as they were when the journalists broke the story.

A very, very good film that people should see whatever religion they belong to.  

Not many jokes in this blog. Safe to say it’s tough to find digestible humour among religion and child abuse so I thought I’d stay well clear.
The Church may be watching...