Spotlight (English, 2016)

Spotlight is one of the rare gems that shows how pure cinema would look like, if brilliance is thrown in, even when an unruffled and simple approach to story-telling is adopted. Tom McCarthy relies more on driving the film through marked characters and the conversations they involve themselves in than on driving it through sensational sequences and he trumps monumentally in his feat.

The actors who play the entire ‘Spotlight’ team and its boss forge together a classic case of the contribution an ensemble effort of an apt casting can have on the magic a film can create! Led masterfully by the re-invented Michael Keaton (thanks to Inarritu’s Birdman), the towering performance of Mark Ruffalo ,who plays an inspiring go-getter Mike Rezendes, is especially noteworthy. The supporting roles of Rachel McAdams, Stanley Tucci and co. have their fare share of fine moments in the film.

Dialogues, conversations and revelations form the backbone of the film and credits to writers Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer for the idea of coming up with set pieces of persuasions among the main characters – Rezendes vs Garabedian; Robby vs his ‘influential’ golfing friend; Sacha vs past victims; conflict in approach between a fiery Rezendes & an experienced Robby etc. These work exceedingly well with the cuts Tom McArdle provides

Masanobu Takayanagi’s cinematography underplays to such an extent that, on the surface, the film might seem a bit low on production values. But, if you feel like you are in the Boston Globe office with the ‘Spotlight’ team, major credits go to the photography techniques adopted. In collaboration with Tom, there are some symbolisms too, added with the way the shots have been captured

For its apt efforts in casting, credits to the casting team led by Kerry Barden, Michaela Cheyn’s work with the Art department (the offices of Garabedian, Boston Globe, the court-rooms etc. )

This film effortlessly adopts a minimalist approach to film-making which the purists among us would tip our hats off for, but a word of caution for viewers who would seek ‘moments’ that pump adrenaline when they watch films. This one may not be for you.