Spotlight (B+) Movie Review
Spotlight stars Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, and Brian D'Arcy James as the team of journalists labeled "Spotlight" working under The Boston Globe that broke the story of the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal in Boston, shaking the nation.
This is a very good film. But perhaps what it accomplishes best is a sense of urgency and immediacy surrounding events that happened almost fifteen years ago (though sex abuse is not dead). Everything here feels important as journalists make these big discoveries throughout the course of their investigation. There's something thrilling about watching journalists chase leads, hunt documents, and interrogate sources.
Spotlight's ensemble is also quite good, though they don't have a lot to do besides chase leads, hunt documents, and interrogate sources. Our lead journalists aren't given much depth but you get the feeling that McCarthy, the film's director, is more concerned with "telling this story right," as McAdams' character says at one point. All Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Brian D'Arcy James, John Slattery, Liev Schreiber, and Stanley Tucci have to do is be convincing, which they are.
Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy wrote the screenplay together and it's a truly excellent one, with rapturous dialogue and unfolding with the intensity and tautness of a great thriller. Every revelation feels genuinely important. The addition of snappy editing by Tom McArdle brings the tale together nicely.
Another thing McCarthy does really well is establish a good sense of place. He weaves this portrait of Boston as a tight-knit, highly religious, kind of "small town" in a way, that is supportive of the Catholic Church. McCarthy's direction is all around superb and it's difficult to imagine that this film came from the director of 2014's The Cobbler starring Adam Sandler which opened to horrible reviews.
The first thirty minutes were a little difficult to get into. McCarthy kind of throws you in without much introduction to these characters but after a short amount of time, you get adjusted. You just have to wait until the real story kicks in. But in general, it's a very well paced film.
There's not a lot for the actors to dig into. These roles aren't very meaty but the ensemble is convincing in telling this story that could have been plodding and banal in other hands. Spotlight is an exciting tale about the powers of journalism, always feeling immediate and important.
FINAL GRADE: B+
MPAA RATING: R for some language including sexual references
This is a very good film. But perhaps what it accomplishes best is a sense of urgency and immediacy surrounding events that happened almost fifteen years ago (though sex abuse is not dead). Everything here feels important as journalists make these big discoveries throughout the course of their investigation. There's something thrilling about watching journalists chase leads, hunt documents, and interrogate sources.
Spotlight's ensemble is also quite good, though they don't have a lot to do besides chase leads, hunt documents, and interrogate sources. Our lead journalists aren't given much depth but you get the feeling that McCarthy, the film's director, is more concerned with "telling this story right," as McAdams' character says at one point. All Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Brian D'Arcy James, John Slattery, Liev Schreiber, and Stanley Tucci have to do is be convincing, which they are.
Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy wrote the screenplay together and it's a truly excellent one, with rapturous dialogue and unfolding with the intensity and tautness of a great thriller. Every revelation feels genuinely important. The addition of snappy editing by Tom McArdle brings the tale together nicely.
Another thing McCarthy does really well is establish a good sense of place. He weaves this portrait of Boston as a tight-knit, highly religious, kind of "small town" in a way, that is supportive of the Catholic Church. McCarthy's direction is all around superb and it's difficult to imagine that this film came from the director of 2014's The Cobbler starring Adam Sandler which opened to horrible reviews.
The first thirty minutes were a little difficult to get into. McCarthy kind of throws you in without much introduction to these characters but after a short amount of time, you get adjusted. You just have to wait until the real story kicks in. But in general, it's a very well paced film.
There's not a lot for the actors to dig into. These roles aren't very meaty but the ensemble is convincing in telling this story that could have been plodding and banal in other hands. Spotlight is an exciting tale about the powers of journalism, always feeling immediate and important.
FINAL GRADE: B+
MPAA RATING: R for some language including sexual references