Friday, March 4, 2016

Spotlight - Movie Review

Winner of the Best picture and best Screenplay in the 88th Academy Awards, 'Spotlight' is based on the true story of the investigative journalistic team 'Spotlight' of the Boston Globe that uncovers child abuse by Roman Catholic priests in Boston. The new editor of the Boston Globe asks the 'Spotlight' team to look into a news item in the Globe where a lawyer indicates that the Church knew of the abuse and did nothing to stop it.

The 'Spotlight' team of four, Robinson (Michael Keaton), Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo) and others start work on the one case they have some information on. Soon they find that there is a man who is running a victims rights association that there could be 13 priests who have been accused, with names and stories of victims who have come forward with their stories. The number grows to 87 and the team sees a pattern of how the priests were systematically shielded and protected and how victims were muffled by the church and the community. The top man in the church, the Archbishop of Boston, knew of it all and helped the abusers get away. After garnering enough information and proof, including documents submitted to the court by the Church of letters written by victims. the Boston Globe starts publishing its story. The next day, hundreds of victims, call in with their stories of abuse by the priests. The number of priests stands at 249, the abused at a thousand. Under fire, the Archbishop of Boston is transferred to a far better assignment in Rome.

For this story the 'Spotlight' team won the Pulitzer Prize for 2013. For a movie that runs on pure journalistic action 'Spotlight' keeps it tight and taut. Good clean, storytelling.

No comments: