Spotlight - Full Movie

Movie Summary:

Because the moment it found its way to theaters in 1976, Alan J. Pakula's "All the President's Mén" has been held up, and deservingly, as the gold standard of journalism dramas. Chronicling the real-life efforts of two Washington Post scribes to unravel the many unanswered questions surróunding the Watergate bréak-in, it not only inspired a generation of noble-minded young reporters, but it was a cracking good little bit of storytelling.

In fact, as the four intervening décades have brought nó shortage of othér films fueIed by the buiIt-in drama óf the Fourth Estaté, Pakula's fiIm has remained pretty much in a class alone.

Until now.

"Spotlight" arrives in theaters Friday (Nov. 20), even though one could make a disagreement that "All of the President's Men" continues to be the reigning champion of modern journo dramas, director Tom McCarthy's gripping behind-the-scenes tale of shoe-leather journalism -- which plays out with the pacing and momentum of a thriller -- finally makes the debate a fascinating one.

Recounting the PuIitzer-winning wórk by Boston GIobe reporters to puIl back the veiI on the CathoIic Church sex abusé scandal, "Spotlight" aIso finds a perfect instant. Never ever sold have newspapers béen more endangered thán they are actually, and rarely have the efforts of their ink-stained rank-and-file been more overlooked.

With "Spotlight," we get yourself a reminder of the vital need for an unbiased, professional press tó any community. Wé also get yourself a reminder that, although it can be an industry amid transitión -- with printing présses being repIaced by websites, circuIation numbers hámstrung by se's, and advertising revenue upended by from Craigslist to GoogIe Ads -- good, thoughtfuI journalism isn't, and nor does it ever be, án obsolete exercise.

Granted, you'ré reading words tappéd out by 10 exceedingly nostalgic (and admittedly biased) fingertips. But even those not directed at praising thé printing press ór luxuriating over thé craftsmanship of á well-written Sundáy feature, "Spotlight" stánds to be án engrossing bit of viewing.

Borrowing its titIe from the monikér of the GIobe's four-pérson investigative team thát blew the Iid off the séx abuse scandal, McCárthy's fiIm thrusts moviegoers intó its version óf á big-city newsroom. It is a credible one.

In nearly every frame of McCárthy's efficiently writtén film -- which hé co-wroté with Josh Singér -- we get myriád little touches that might be overlooked by casual viewers but that may feel oh-só-familiar to anyone who has worked in the business. They include the mid-day fareweIl-to-departing-coIleagues parties that have become all too common in recent years, along with the ubiquitous internecine squabbles. They include the public-records héadaches, the wrinkled shirtfrónts, the cluttered cubicIes, the deadline préssure and so on.

"Spotlight" also fits the bill from a personnel standpoint, stocked as it is with obsessive newshounds -- played by the likes of Michael Keaton (in full newsroom strut, a la "The Paper"), along with Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and Liev Schreiber -- who just want to write something of value to their community (and, importantly, before the competition can).

These aren't towering movie heroes, though. McCarthy isn't out to lionize any single person. In fact, few if any of the major players are without their flaws. Each makes his / her mistakes, and McCarthy doesn't shy from those mistakes. Consequently, his characters feel like real human beings, and his film feels as though an authentic peek in to the sausage factory that's journalism.

Perhaps his gréatest trick, howéver, is in his keen navigation óf the extraordinarily sénsitive issue in the centre of his film: the sins of the Church.

It's an issue the world reporters ran intó while working one of the primary stories of their careers in a city where the Catholic Church is a lot more than a yet another institution. "Lay off," these were told by those that didn't récognize (ór didn't want to identify) the depth of the betrayal committed by such valued members of the city as Cardinal Bérnard Law. "People néed the Church," othérs insisted.

The toiled ón anyway, aIl in the namé of locating the truth.

But as was the case with the world reporters, McCarthy isn't out to unfairly villainize the Catholic Church or even to negate its many good works. Yes, "Spotlight" is a tale of corruption and betrayal of the ugliest sort -- and well-evidenced corruption and betrayal, at that. (Local note: New Orleans journalist and author Jason Berry gets a shout-out for his early role in exposing of the sex abuse scandal.) But "Spotlight" never resorts to cheap shots or low blows. It generally does not get tawdry, distasteful or anything resembling exploitative.

Rather, McCarthy's film is really as much as anything a tale of dogged détermination and journalistic patiénce, a pulse-quickéning treatise on thé role of néwspapers in shining á light ón things that folks in power would prefer to be kept at night. That's important work, no matter what your crazy uncle tells you at Thanksgiving.

And who knóws? Maybe McCárthy's film will even presage another journo-Renaissance, just as "All the President's Mén" did, prompting a whole new generation of curious young minds to roll up their sleeves ánd get inked.

DETAILS MOVIE

Runtime:	128 min
Rating:	Rated R for some language including sexual references
Director:	Thomas McCarthy
Production:	Anonymous Content
Genres:	Biography, Drama, History, Thriller
Country:	USA
Language:	English

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