A compelling and sobering portrait of investigative journalism

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2016)

Did SPOTLIGHT deserve to win Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards? Maybe, I guess. I still haven't seen all of the nominees yet, but even still I recognize that SPOTLIGHT is an excellent film. Based on true events, it tells how the Boston Globe broke the story about a massive cover-up of pedophile priests in the Catholic Church. It also features an incredible ensemble cast who, although not given much to do individually, work great together in service of a very compelling (and saddening) story. Out of the five actors given top billing, I would say that Liev Schreiber and Mark Ruffalo fare the best, although the rest of the cast don't slouch by any means. Rachel McAdams is perhaps the weakest out of the bunch, but even she mostly holds her own. Far and away, the most important takeaways are the devotion to pursuing the truth no matter where it leads you, as well as the integrity necessary in investigative journalism. Some people have called this the greatest journalism movie since ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, but I still need to see that in order to make such a comparison. Briefly touching on other matters, I thought the score and cinematography were quite adequate enough to elevate this beyond something that would normally play as a made-for-HBO movie. In particular, I liked the use of substantial tracking shots, which visually reinforced the winding and interconnected paths that the Globe's spotlight team go on in pursuit of their story. Ultimately, there is a lot in here that could shake one's faith in humanity and human institutions, particularly religion, however I never felt like they demonized anyone. It merely acknowledged the imperfections and, some of the time, willful negligence of said institutions and the communities they serve, while also aspiring to better accountability in both. Best Picture winner or not, SPOTLIGHT is hands down one of the best that 2015 had to offer.