Spotlight (2015)

[Plain Old Tele]

Discuss.

[lilmac]

One of my most highly anticipated movies.

[Webslinger]

Put as simply as possible, Spotlight is - without question - easily among the most spellbinding films of 2015. Even though writer/director Tom McCarthy's approach is consistently subtle rather than histrionic, the film moves with the urgency of a taut, edge-of-your-seat thriller, and the stakes feel every bit as high. The film is ultimately less about the headline-rocking priest molestation scandals of the early-to-mid-2000s (one of which hit my own hometown, as documented prior to the rolling of the credits) than it is the process of developing the first headline in the Boston Globe, and in that respect, it's an intensely gripping procedural that speaks to the power of the press in an era when its relevance has been called into increasingly greater question every year. The acting is so uniformly excellent that it is exceedingly difficult to pick a standout performance in McCarthy's cast. Michael Keaton has terrific presence as the leader of the titular team, and he has a couple of great scenes in which he discusses a past incident with a seemingly unlikely victim and confronts the directors of his alma mater. Mark Ruffalo is effortlessly charming as ever, but he makes the most of a soul-baring scene with Rachel McAdams in which he discusses how the case has transformed his status as a lapsed Catholic from a temporary one to a permanent one. McAdams also displays tenacity in her part, and she also succeeds in communicating the film's central message - that silence is not the answer in the face of overwhelming injustice - with grace and tender humanity in the scene in which it occurs. Stanley Tucci is also terrific in his scenes as a lawyer for the victims, as he effectively and movingly changes his stance toward Ruffalo's journalist. The immediacy of these performances consistently adds to the immediacy of the film itself, and it ultimately makes for one of the most gripping films of the year.

 

A

 

That being said, a few of the New Englander-specific Easter eggs threw me off. Specifically: the Dunkin Donuts cups used throughout the film are ones that anyone who drinks coffee as regularly as I do can easily date back to 2014 (thanks to the heavy advertisement of the DD Perks program), and the dismissive laughter of the "When's the Pats' opener?" question just weeks before Tom Brady's NFL debut smacks of self-aware humor. Nevertheless, the film itself is still great.

[AniNate]

An entertaining and provocative film with terrific performances from Ruffalo, McAdams, Keaton and especially an unrecognizable Stanley Tucci.

Though it's obvious they were desperately trying and failing to keep this PG 13 with the distracting number of "freakins" in this movie. Bostonians do not censor themselves

[filmlover]

Spotlight is engrossing and harrowing, a remarkable tale of the power of the press and how one news team uncovered the truth of a horrific scandal kept under wraps without feeling at all like a procedural. The cast, one of the best ensembles ever put together, is great from top to bottom. Mark Ruffalo might be the standout for me, but there is not a single bad performance to be found here and everyone is given their moment to shine. Simply an incredible film all around. This is one of those moments where I was reminded of why I fell in love with movies in the first place. A

[The Panda]

Spotlight is a truly fantastic film.  It starts off with a slow, grounded build and sucks you into the story, engrossing you with each interview and press to uncover another piece to the mystery of how.  What makes the film so great is that it sticks to the facts, to the story how it was, with no embellishments and lets that pull you in.  It is a very stark contrast to most biopics and true story Oscar baits in that it doesn't over-dramatize it's story to try to make it more cinematic.  It tells the story it has and it tells it well.

 

The ensemble in the film is fantastic, no actor carries the film on their back, and while some performances are stronger than others, they all shine through at the end.  They all deserve some Oscar recognition, even if Ruffalo will likely receive the bulk of it.  

 

The film is edited briskly, it keeps the film moving at a quick and efficient pace, fast enough to keep it from dragging and slow enough to allow you to digest the information that is at hand.  It goes at you non-stop and consistently until it finally closes at the end and you wonder where the time went.  My only complaint might be that it takes a little bit to get your attention and get you to care, but once it does, you're hooked till it closes.  It is proof how you don't need spectacle to keep the audience's attention.  I saw this movie at 11:00pm after a long day, I was worried that I'd have a repeat of my Mad Max situation where I'd go into a highly acclaimed movie and be to fatigued to pay attention (making me think a good movie wasn't as good as it actually is), yet it woke me up.  A quiet little movie about the press and investigation kept my eyes jolted open, and gave me a burst of midnight energy.

 

The ending is great though, it's probably what really sealed the deal for this movie for me.  McCarthy does a great job at closing at a peak, he builds and he builds, then when the ball drops the film wraps up and leaves you stunned.  He doesn't give you the time to wind down your brain, there isn't the usual descending slope tying up the movie in a neat little bow.  He ends with a revelation and then lets you ponder upon it.  

 

Spotlight is one of the best movies of the year. A+

[baumer]

Awesome reviews guys. I'm going to try to see this today.

[Ezen Baklattan]

I saw this on Tuesday, but I was feeling pretty off during the whole thing, but I wouldn't blame that on the movie. I need to see it again to give it a more balanced judgement.

[Cmasterclay]

This movie sneaks up on you, man. It doesn't have any of those "moments" that blow you away and look great in an awards-montage, but it just builds and builds and builds until you can't look away from the screen. It's truly spectacular in how it turns a slow-burn into something captivating. It never goes for anything remotely showy, and in doing so, it sucks you in and locks you down and doesn't let you go. It's the ultimate example of a film where the whole is better than the sum of the parts. In a year where the opposite has been true far too often, that's needed. And impressive. Webslinger said it best when he called  it spellbinding.

 

None of that is to say that the parts aren't great, though. McCarthy shoots it with terrific restraint, the world feels lived in, the dialogue feels real, and the ensemble is exceptional across the board. There's no one performance that made me say "whoa," but that really works to the movie's benefit. Everyone fills their part and does the job to the best of the ability- a perfect fit for the story this movie tells. 

[AniNate]

Ruffalo's breakdown about his faith will probably be the "Oscar" moment

[4815162342]

Very good film.

[baumer]

First of all, Ruffalo has probably my favourite performance of the year.  I don't know anything about the real life character he plays but he absolutely floored me.  Every time he was on screen, I was drawn to him.  As for the movie itself, I absolutely loved it.  It's definitely a story that needed to be told and dare I say this is an important film.  Definitely one of the best of the year so far.

 

9.5/10

[FTF]

2 hours ago, baumer said:

First of all, Ruffalo has probably my favourite performance of the year.  I don't know anything about the real life character he plays but he absolutely floored me.  Every time he was on screen, I was drawn to him.  As for the movie itself, I absolutely loved it.  It's definitely a story that needed to be told and dare I say this is an important film.  Definitely one of the best of the year so far.

 

9.5/10

 

Yup, same.  I loved it too and top 5 of the year for me so far.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

Loved it.  Well acted. 

[Blankments]

I wasn't expecting to like Spotlight, as procedural films typically bore me (with the rare exception of Zodiac). After all, I watch films for character primarily, and this genre typically lack well-defined characters. That is true for Spotlight; however, the film is still incredibly well made and enticing. The ensemble is pretty good, but the only standout is Mark Ruffalo, who continues proving that he is one of the best actors currently working. He's the only one who manages to add depth to a character and makes you forget you're watching the actor. The screenplay is really strong, although it does start quite slow. As it builds and builds though, the investigation becomes alluring and you hang on every bit of dialogue thrown your way. Unfortunately, I'm not impressed by Tom McCarthy's direction, as his only style seems to be a lot of one-takes, which are impressive but ultimately a bit lacking. There needs to be a more distinct visual style to keep this film really exciting. However, the editing is quite good, and a montage near the end of the film is quite excellent, so I can't say McCarthy is all bad. He also got the great performance out of Ruffalo so perhaps I'm being too harsh. Spotlight is a great procedural about a story that already seems a tad forgotten. It's just a shame it never rises above its genre to become a truly attractive piece of cinema. B

[Intensive]

This movie was awesome and is going to hit audiences. HARD. 

 

A

[FTF]

Who's trolling with that F???

[somebody85]

Pretty sure this has the chance to win best picture of the year at the Oscars and Golden Globes. It's probably the most complete film I've seen of 2015. Not much more to be said about it that hasn't been said. Was powerful from start to finish with amazing acting by all involved.

This made me very interested to look up the real story and see how much Hollywood got right. I love how they built tension in a realistic way. And that long list of all the places effected at the end was heart breaking. 

A

Edited January 5, 2016 by somebody85

[Water Bottle]

A movie about a story that needed to be told even if it constantly makes you wish that there was never a story, and thus a film, to begin with.

 

A-

[Napoleon]

Technically, I think everything in this movie was perfect, and it tells a really important story. Still, I don't think it was much on an inspired film, I feel like it could've been made by any other competent director.