Spotlight (****1/2)

The final credits begin at a pinnacle of emotion and fulfillment, when a story of massive implications is finally published after years of research. The outcry and support and anger is channeled through an endless barrage of phone calls- one after the other - until the screen goes black and a list is displayed: a list of other cities where a sex abuse scandal arose in the Catholic Church after the infamous story written at the Boston Globe. And the list goes on and on and on... To say I got chills is of the most mild implications- to see a list including my home town quite literally took my breath away.

In a lot of ways SPOTLIGHT builds to that final list, shown after hours of growing suspense and involvement. The story, written by the 'Spotlight' team of journalists, began as little more than curiosity surrounding the story of a priest who was relocated to a different parish after molesting several children. A bit more digging and they found another priest. And another. If I told you they found 13 priest would you be shocked? If you realized there were 87 in Boston alone, how can you come to terms with it?

Like many of the great films regarding journalism, Tom McCarthy's film is both reserved and thrilling, with nothing more than a sharp script with razor dialogue to create an excitement that is rare in movies. There are so many moments that pay homage to some of the greats, from "All The President's Men," to "Network," from "Michael Clayton" to "Doubt." Sometimes the most powerful thing is nothing more than a real conversation.

"Spotlight" is building a lot of buzz and for good reason. In a year that has been marked with so many genres of story, this is a pure drama that unfolds as only a real-life story can. The characters are truly an ensemble that are portrayed with so much realism that believing it to be a documentary is not hard to imagine. 

We can give credit to Michael Keaton, who I would assume would be the leading role but only because he is the main editor of his division. His is a man of convictions yet smarts, one who plays his cards close and is believable as a charismatic leader. Same for Rachel McAdams, a confident and beautiful woman who must deal with the realization that the church her grandmother loves so much has betrayed so many. Or Mark Ruffalo as a the man with a nervous tick and a flair for spontaneity. 

Movies like this are interesting mostly because they show how the workings of a large organization function. In this case we have an insider look into the dealings of a newspaper grappling with a horrendous story of child abuse and yet trying to keep one step ahead of the rival publishers. The story was published in early 2002, and even in the midst of research the events of 9/11 nearly pushed the story to the back burner indefinitely. Who knew?

The pieces of the puzzle were always there, and in fact the Globe comes to realize nearly every piece of information they published was already given to them in years past. One case of abuse is sad, but we soon forget. What 'Spotlight' did (and what we realize in the final few scene) was to shake humanity to the core. As an editor says before publishing the story in a final scene, "sometimes we get lost in the dark, it's only when a light is turned on that we realize the mistakes we have made." I'm paraphrasing, of course, but what a whopper. 

(Awards potential: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (McAdams), Best Supporting Actor (Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Stanley Tucci, Liev Schreiber, Brian d'Arcy James), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Editing)