Spotlight

Dir: Thomas McCarthy

2015

*****

If a true story is worth telling it is worth telling right and that is exactly what all involved in this film have done. Thomas McCarthy's Spotlight does not add fictional flourishes and isn't in the least bit over-dramatized. It simply sticks to the facts. It's fairly ridiculous that that is a refreshing concept. I'm hoping that the success surrounding the film will lead the way somewhat but I will not be holding my breath, I will instead, celebrate this wonderful film. It's hard to compare it to any other film. I would say there was an element of Network in there but without the satire it's not really a fair comparison, it is as masterful but it is a completely different kind of fish. The only other type of film I can think comes close is the good old fashioned murder thriller. David Fincher's Zodiac comes to mind in that it follows an intriguing investigative case but again, it's completely different. It is strange that a film like Spotlight is a one off but a one off it is. There are no real high-points and certainly no lows, the level of intrigue is constant. I was transfixed throughout. I knew that it had been proven that the Catholic Church had covered up many cases of child abuse but I didn't know about Spotlight or that it was they who uncovered the sordid truth. It is a shocking case with many people effected, Thomas McCarthy approached the story with respect and in a dignified manner, an attitude that serves the victims, community and audience well. The emotion is in the story, not in a sugar-coated glorification of our main characters or in an over-blown vindication or unnecessary demonization of any one person. It isn't at all the sort of film I'd expect from Thomas McCarthy, a film maker whose films are full of magic and charm. Spotlight is as masterful as his earlier films but there isn't the same sort of magic that Win Win or The Station Agent conjured, only the brutal truth and the wonder that comes from solving a mystery. I suppose there is magic to be found everywhere, even where you least expect to find it, although magic might not be the best word. Spotlight's real success lies in its uncompromising attention to detail. Truth is powerful, to see every step of responsible investigative journalism at work is immensely satisfying and is utterly engrossing, again, it's sad but true that I believe people like Spotlight so much because it is realistic and responsible, something we're sadly not used to anymore. The performances are suitably realistic but pack a punch when necessary. Each actor is believable in their role which is only enhanced when something shocking is discovered. Mark Ruffalo delivers some of the more powerful lines in the film, these are never forced but have full effect due to their content and because he makes us believe his frustrations. Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery and Brian d'Arcy James are all perfect, never once putting a step wrong. How the story is handled and performed is one thing and in many respects any director could have filmed it with this in mind but Thomas McCarthy's visuals are brilliantly composed, it's strange for me to say this about a film but the film's look really was the cherry on the cake. This is masterful film making, every element needed to be considered a masterpiece is present and perfect. One of the best of 2015 and one of the most important of the millennium so far, future film makers take note.