One of the high-profile premieres of 2015 was Tom McCarthy's biographical drama "In the Spotlight". Reviews of this film will be of interest to viewers who like to watch on-screen events that really happened in life, as well as fans of high-profile journalistic investigations. This story is based on the scandal surrounding sexual harassment in the Catholic Church, which erupted in the 1990-2000s. His result was the resignation of American Cardinal Bernard Lowe in 2002. In this article we will talk about the plot of the film, the cast, and also inform about the reviews and comments left by viewers and critics.
Preparation
The script was originally written by director Tom McCarthy himself, co-authored with Josh Singer. They became the main creators of the film "In the Spotlight". The reviews noted that the preliminary work that preceded the filming was done very scrupulously, which ensured a good result at the exit.
Talking about how he became interested in this matter, McCarthy noted that it was an important movie work for him. At first, the director was frightened by the scale when it came to the realization of how much material was to be studied, how much work to do.
According to him, it was a great and exciting work that consumed him almost immediately. It was fascinating not only to analyze the details of the investigation conducted several years earlier, but also to pay attention to the findings made, trying to understand what exactly would be interesting for the viewer in this story. Collaboration with Josh Singer on the film "In the Spotlight" also benefited in this regard, because it became possible to discuss and talk about all the points.
The script was finally ready in 2013, almost immediately falling into the black list, which is determined by the results of the survey at the end of each year, identifying the most important undervalued and not yet implemented projects.
Singer noted that for him, one of the main goals was to demonstrate the role of journalism in society, which continues to be important, although it has recently been weakening. According to him, their story was not about exposing the Catholic Church, but an attempt to visually show the work of the news department, its strength and power. The importance of journalism was central to him in this story.
Filming
Filming of "Spotlight" began in September 2014. They took place in Massachusetts and Boston. Finished in Canadian Hamilton.
Then, for eight months, the picture was edited, finalized and edited. To make the film more stressful, several episodes and scenes had to be cut out of it, because of which the narrative lost its dynamism.
Plot
The film details the journalistic investigation conducted by correspondents for the Boston Globe newspaper. As a result of their work, it was possible to establish that a large number of Catholic priests who served in the local metropolitanate raped children for many years.
At the time of writing this article in 2003, reporters were reliably aware of 87 rapist priests. For these publications, the publication received the Pulitzer Prize in the nomination "For Public Service".
When the articles were published, and the case received publicity, the story began to grow rapidly. As a result, it was possible to identify more than 290 priests who turned out to be pedophiles. Moreover, in Boston at that time there were about one and a half thousand priests.
Later it turned out that the American Cardinal Bernard Low was aware of the facts of sexual harassment, but he deliberately hid them in every possible way, helping the rapists to evade responsibility.
Lowe resigned after leaving Boston for Rome. Pope John Paul II entrusted him with several administrative posts in the Roman Curia, and then appointed him the main presbyter of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, located in Rome.
Cast
In reviews of the film "In the Spotlight", critics and viewers have repeatedly noted that a successful cast has assembled in the film.
One of the main roles - Boston-based journalist Michael Resendes - was played by American Mark Ruffalo. He was born in Wisconsin in 1967. His debut took place in the early 1990s in little-known films "Song for You", "Mirror, Mirror 2: Dance of the Raven", "My Beauty".
Ruffalo's popularity came after Lisa Kholodenkoâs tragicomedy âThe Kids Are Alright,â Bennett Millerâs sports drama âThe Fox Hunter,â and Ryan Murphyâs drama âThe Normal Heartâ.
Ruffalo has repeatedly been nominated for prestigious film awards. For example, for the role of Bruce Banner in the fantastic action movie Joss Whedon's Avengers or Dr. Lester Sheen in the psychological thriller Martin Scorsese Island of the Damned.
For his work in the film "In the Spotlight" (2015), the actor was awarded the United States Actors Guild Award. BAFTA nominated for an Oscar (for the third time in his career, but he has no statuette).
Michael Keaton
The role of Walter Robinson went to another Hollywood star - Michael Keaton. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1951.
Recognition came to him almost immediately. He received the Kansas City Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for one of his first works in Ron Howardâs 1982 comedy âNight Shiftâ.
Popularity came to him when he began acting with Tim Burton, playing the title characters in the superhero action movie Batman and the mystical black comedy The Beetlejuice. The role of the Vulture in the paintings of John Watts dedicated to Spider-Man is also considered classical in his performance.
After that, he faded into the background for a long time, not getting the main roles in truly successful films. The popularity returned to Keaton in 2014, when he got the main role in the black comedy Alejandro GonzĂĄlez Iùårritu âBirdmanâ, presenting on the screen in the image of the half-forgotten surrounding actor Riggan Thompson. For this work, Keaton received the Golden Globe Award, British Film Academy Award and an Oscar nomination.
Since 2016, his name star has been established on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For his work in the film "In the Spotlight", the actor was awarded the United States Screen Actors Guild Award for the best cast in feature films.
In 2019, two premieres with his participation are being prepared right away. This is John Watts' fantastic action movie "Spider-Man: Away from Home" and Tim Burton's family fantasy "Dumbo."
Rachel McAdams
The main female role in this picture went to Canadian actress Rachel McAdams. She appears in the image of Sasha Pfeiffer.
Her path in cinema is counted from the beginning of the 2000s, when she appeared in the TV series âFamous Jet Jacksonâ and the television movie âLove for Shotgun Dollsâ.
She really attracted attention in 2002, when she got the main role in Tom Brady's comedy "The Chick", playing in tandem with Rob Schneider. Real fame came to her two years later, again after the comedy. It was Mark Watersâs "Mean Girls" tape. American, and soon Russian, viewers saw her in the guise of a sharp-tongued high school student Regina George, who had to get along with the heroine Lindsay Lohan, who came with her parents from Africa and went to a public school in Illinois.
Among her other high-profile works, one can recall Nick Cassavetesâs melodrama The Memorial Diary, David Dobkinâs melodramatic comedy Uninvited Guests, and Roger Mitchellâs comedy Good Morning.
For lovers of detective stories, Macadams will have Irene Adler from Guy Ritchie's adventure movie "Sherlock Holmes" for a long time.
Nominations and awards
In the film "In the Spotlight" the actors and the roles they play are remembered by many viewers and critics who have honored the film with mostly positive reviews.
Rich in ribbon and festival destiny. In 2014, director Tom McCarthy received two awards at the Venice Film Festival. The award for Best Actor from the New York Film Critics Circle went to Michael Keaton.
The film was nominated for an Oscar in six nominations, having managed to win in two of them. McCarthy and Josh Singer received a statuette for the best original script, and this tape was recognized by film academics as the best film of 2015. McCarthy lost in the fight for the title of best director. Not got the picture and the award for installation. Also among the nominees were actors Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Macadams for Best Actor and a Supporting Role, respectively.
It is worth noting that the authorâs duet for the original script was also awarded the US Screenwriters Guild Award, BAFTA, and the London Film Critics Circle Award.
At the same time, one cannot help but say that the tape set a certain anti-record by repeating the achievement of the 1952 greatest show of the world by Cecil Blount De Mill. Then the film, which was recognized as the best of the year at the Oscars, in addition to this figurine received only one more award. By the way, the script was also noted then (only the best feature film script was chosen).
Assessing the number of awards received, it becomes clear why "The Spotlight" is a cool movie.
Tom McCarthy
Film director Tom McCarthy began his career as an actor. In 1992, he made his debut in the tragicomedy Mike Bidner "Crossing the Bridge." He moved to the director's chair in 2003, and in his own script he shot the dramatic comedy "Station Warden". The premiere of the film took place at the Sundance Festival of American Independent Cinema.
After that, in his directorial career were:
- the drama "The Visitor" about a lonely professor of economics who goes to a conference on globalization to stumble upon illegal immigrants from Senegal and Syria in his old apartment;
- sports comedy "Win!" about an insecure lawyer, moonlighting at school as a wrestling coach;
- fantasy comedy "Shoemaker", whose main character discovers a sewing machine in the basement of his own house. It allows him to turn into people who bring their shoes to repair.
Of course, the film "In the Spotlight" in his directorial career was the best. In 2018, McCarthy wrote the script for the comedy adventure drama Mark Forster's "Christopher Robin."
Spectator Impressions
From the audience, reviews about the film "In the Spotlight" were mostly positive. The tape paid off at the box office, collecting almost $ 90 million in cinemas with a budget that was more than four times less.
Topicality is one of the main advantages of the film "In the Spotlight" (2015). In the reviews, the audience, leaving the cinema, noted that the film touched on important and relevant problems regarding deep attitude and attention to the things that surround us. One of the most pressing questions posed by the creators is who is to blame: the one who commits an offense or a crime, or the one who sees everything that happens, but does not react in any way without trying to stop the violators.
Of particular interest was the fact that the tape is based on a real story, and relatively recently. In the reviews of the film "In the Spotlight" (2015), many viewers admitted that they still clearly remember the events of those months, the shock that then experienced the whole civilized society.
The plot focuses specifically on the journalistic investigation, which is dedicated to the criminal activity of Catholic pedophile priests. Particular emphasis is placed precisely on the fact that the church for many years tried in every possible way to cover them, instead of publicizing the committed misconduct.
The tape shows in detail how the clergy are trying to hush up this matter. Everything happens in the best traditions of the bloodthirsty rulers of the past, whose time, as it turns out, has not yet completely passed. Threats, bribery, and blackmail are used. The worst thing is when you find out that these horrors come from Christian priests who are ready to do everything in order not to lose their privileges and not to lose their authority.
In reviews of the film "In the Spotlight" (2015), almost all actors received well-deserved praise from most viewers. This is Mark Ruffalo, who plays the most emotional and punchy member of the investigative journalism team, and Rachel McAdams as the only girl who turns out to be assertive, strong, courageous and unyielding. Michael Keaton deserves special mention for the image of the head of the team of correspondents, the most experienced and oldest of all.
As a result, the director turned out to be a real exciting thriller investigation, focused on the story itself, but managed not to lose sight of other important elements so that the viewer was not bored and really interesting to watch. And this is the merit of the scriptwriters who have done so much for the success of this picture.
Opinions of film critics
Although he received a large number of awards and nominations for the film "In the Spotlight", the reviews of film critics were very mixed. A lot of complaints were made to the director and his creation. Apparently, therefore, only two Oscars managed to win the tape, although it claimed more.
Many were disappointed that there was little action in the picture. Most of the screen time was given to the dialogs that unfold here and there.
Got for other reasons, the picture "In the Spotlight". In reviews and reviews, film critics emphasized that the movie turned out to be too old-fashioned. Ethically and aesthetically, it got stuck in the 1970s or 1980s. Just at that time, in the Hollywood performance, instead of the cynical scammer, the image of a truth-seeking journalist and idealist capable of professional feat, for example, forcing the president to resign after the Watergate scandal, appeared.
McCarthy turned out to be a real ode to the profession of a journalist. With incessant phone calls, fateful gliders, diehard editors, cunning colleagues, and ever-unreliable sources.
At the same time, the director focuses on the fact that all representatives of the investigative team grew up in Catholic families (except for the Jewish editor).
The result is a "conversational" film that does not keep in suspense, but only lulls. But this does not diminish the significance of the "Spotlight" tape. Photo poster today is familiar to all fans of the cinema. After all, the American film academics recognized this picture as the best that came out in 2015.