Directed by Tom McCarthy, Spotlight is a true story of The Boston Globe’s investigative journalism unit, which first revealed reports of abuse in the Boston Catholic Church community in 2002 and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2003.
When a Miami native (Liev Schreiber) is chosen top editor, he wants the Spotlight team, led by Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton), to focus on molestation allegations that have been suppressed in Boston-area Catholic schools and churches for decades and that the Globe has never investigated seriously.
Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Mark Ruffalo, and Stanley Tucci feature in the film, which revolves around them as they are tasked to investigate sexual assault cases.
The plot focuses on the team’s efforts to find the truth. The story then progresses through a succession of powerful yet subtle moments involving the journalists, lawyers, and victims engaged in the case. As the story unfolds, each journalist becomes more emotionally concerned towards the victims as well as in delivering justice to them.
What began as one or two claims swiftly escalate into the discovery of nearly 90 abusive priests in the Boston area alone. This figure only increased after their article got published, revealing several abuses resulting in shaking the faith of millions of people throughout the world.
The film comes to a tragic conclusion with reporters entering the Boston Globe office on the day the article was published. Every phone in the office rings ceaselessly, all with more victims, all with more stories similar to the ones they published, leaving the journalists stunned.
The Globe eventually published over 600 articles that resulted in compelling the Vatican to reassign Cardinal Law as well as triggering worldwide investigations into the church’s coverups of thousands of priests’ abuses.
When it comes to the film, the first half of the film seems slow but after Team Spotlight obtains key information, the pace intensifies and you will be intrigued until the very end.
Spotlight is a serious film on a serious subject. The film’s truth is something that needs to be shared to almost everyone. The truth upon which Spotlight is based leaves a lasting impression among the viewers. That is what makes the film unique.
When it comes to the actors, the film is worth seeing just for the performances.
In 2016, the film won two Academy Awards; Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Writing, Original Screenplay. Spotlight also got nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role by Mark Ruffalo, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role by Rachel McAdams, Best Achievement in Directing and Best Achievement in Film Editing by Tom McCarthy.
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