Sins of the Fathers

Rating: 10/10 (22 November 2015)

(Rating: ☆☆☆☆ out of 4)
This film is highly recommended.
In brief: This powerful yet restrained exposé of the sexual crimes against children should be required viewing by all.
GRADE: A-
Tom McCarthy's Spotlight takes its laser-sharp aim at the Catholic Church and its extensive cover-up of many pedophile acts by its priests against hundreds of child victims throughout the world. The film focuses in on the beginnings of these cases, going back to 1976, and depicts the investigative research and reporting that finally exposed these heinous crimes.
￼We immediately are drawn to a group of top-notch columnists at the Boston Globe as they begin to follow some leads and theories into certain alleged acts that have been overlooked by many parishioners and various institutions throughout the city, including the newspaper itself. The film is a riveting behind-the-scenes look at this story and it thoroughly captures the ennui and the sense of passion and discovery that goes into the job of a reporter brilliantly, with its subtle touches of paper-shrouded desktops and tight cubicles littered with post-notes and family photographs.
￼Based on the true events, the film is interested in reporting the facts of the long research- extensive process and its impact on the investigative team called Spotlight, a team that will later go on to win a Pulitzer Prize for its exposé. The acting is wonderful, one of the strongest ensembles this year. Mark Ruffalo plays the overworked lead reporter, Michael Rezendes, and he shows the characters' inner strength and stamina with a performance that understates the horror he sees as he talks to the various victims and fights for their cause. Rachel McAdams delivers one of her finest roles as Sacha Pfeiffer, a lapse Catholic. Her scene where she interviews a suspected priest is particularly memorable in its matter-of-fact conversation. Brian d'Arcy James as Matt Carroll, the third reporter on the team, brings the physical outrage front and center. Adding yeoman-like support are Liev Schreiber and John Slattery as the editors who helped to break the story, and Stanley Tucci as Mitchell Garabedian, an obsessed lawyer fighting for his young clients' rights. All are splendid, as are Jamey Sheridan, Billy Crudup, Neil Huff, and Len Cariou as the unethical Cardinal Law.
￼But it is Micheal Keaton who is the standout in his supporting turn as Walter "Robby" Robinson, the chief editor of the Spotlight team. The actor layers his character with an underlining grace and intelligence. He interprets this role by playing Robby as a soft-spoken observer and hardened professional and it is such a nuanced and completely believable performance. The character leads the team on its steady course amid subtle threats and allegations and Keaton leads and centers the other actors around his straightforward portrayal. One hopes that his work he will not go unnoticed during award season.
￼The director, who also wrote the screenplay along with Josh Singer, uses his narrative skills masterfully. The film relies heavily on its insightful dialog and well-defined characters. Much of the film is talk with very little action, but the story itself is thoroughly engrossing. McCarthy also uses strong imagery to reinforce his film, with scenes of the massive Catholic churches dwarfing and overshadowing the smaller houses and playgrounds within the city to maximum effect (Kudos to Masanobu Takayanagi's cinematography, Howard Shore's non-intrusive music score, and Tom McArdle's effective editing.)
￼The film shies away from lurid details and is, at times, too restrained than needed. It sidesteps any real melodrama and resists the urge to manipulate its audience and toy with their emotions. Rather, it fully encompasses the scandal in a by-the book approach to its subject, a clinical remote approach, and lets the moviegoer learn more and more about the cases as the evidence is slowly revealed. In fact, the only emotional tirade comes from the lead reporter only once in the film, literally about the sins of the Fathers. There is no other hysterical outbursts or angry speeches, no sound and fury in telling this tale, just an objective and powerful retelling of the awful truth that we normally try to avoid.
￼Spotlight uncovers the truths and tells its story in a honest and gripping way. It's just the facts you see up there on the screen, no matter how ugly the truth may be. Go see this film, it's one of the year's best.
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