The saying, the devil's in the
detail, was never more accurate than in Tom McCarthy’s meticulously told story
of one crack team of investigative journalists and their search for the truth
behind the cover up of clerical abuse in the Boston Archdiocese. Based on the
true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Spotlight team at The Boston Globe,
the film details how, in 2001, they chased down a small number of cases that
never saw a day in court and, like a pulled thread, began to unravel a massive cover-up by the Catholic Church.
At times disturbing to watch, it is
a compelling, highly engrossing story, played by a brilliant ensemble cast
featuring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Bryan d’Arcy James
as the intrepid Spotlight team, ably supported in the newsroom by Liev Schreiber
and John Slattery. Calling to mind the likes of All The President’s Men, it shows how every phone call counts, every
lead must be chased down, every door must be knocked on and indeed no stone
left unturned. Peeling back layer upon layer of the story down to the minutiae,
you can almost smell the sweat and newsprint emanating from the screen. In the
age of click bait news headlines and internet supremacy, Spotlight heralds a
time when print media still reigned and how investigative journalism really
bore into the issues and stories of the day.
The film raises the burning
question of celibacy and the crisis the church faces in putting such a
decree in place with some truly shocking discoveries as to the epidemic it has
produced. It also highlights how such allegations made against the priesthood, these
men of God, were handled as people simply didn’t want to believe it. As one
police officer says, “no-one wants to cuff a priest”.
Directed with a eye to letting the screenplay do the talking as opposed to the visuals, McCarthy has delivered an exceptional film, allowing his cast the room to breathe life into their characters and tell the vital story at its heart. McAdams excels as the boots on the
street reporter, not afraid to seek answers, a lapsed Catholic who takes her grandmother
to mass every Sunday and is fired on by the shocking abuse of trust. Ruffalo
plays it with hard determination and nervy energy, while Billy Crudup is suitably oily as a lawyer acting on behalf of the church who settled claims with a “sit
down with the bishop and a little dough”. The always wonderful Stanley Tucci, plays a lawyer on
the victim’s side, struggling through the red tape to get the claims to court
and his scenes with Ruffalo are among the best in the film.
With a total of six Oscar
nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting acting nods
for Ruffalo and McAdams, Best Screenplay and Best Film Editing, the film is
sure to grab some gold at this year’s ceremony. Highly recommended.
