Spotlight Review (2015)

Spotlight

  Spotlight is the true story of how the Boston Globe turned over an ugly rock to reveal cockroaches molesting children in the catholic church. It stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, and Stanley Tucci. As great as this cast is, I don't feel like anyone, aside from Mark Ruffalo, really stood out in a way that screamed Oscar. They all had solid performances, but the focus was on the story more than the characters. Not a knock on the film, but something I thought I should mention.

  Spotlight reminded me of Zodiac in it's approach to storytelling. It started out slow and as it went on, began to really grip and compel us. It's dark material, and the execution at times gave me chills. On the other hand, there were times where the way it was shot felt almost like a lifetime TV movie.

  One thing I really did like about Spotlight, was its unapologetic way of painting the characters. When tempted to point blame, the film reveals the hypocrisy in not only the church, but the reporters as well.

  While there's not much depth to Spotlight in a artistic, cinematic sense, there is a lot of depth in its lesson that those who turn a blind eye to evil are taking the side of the oppressor.

  I won't rave over this film like other critics seem to, not because it wasn't good, but because it didn't quite have the impact on me that I wanted it to have.

  In the end, where it lacks in character building, style, energy, it made up for in it's candid depiction of mankind and the tendency to overlook suffering right under our very noses. 6 out of 10 stars (Worth Ticket Price)