Spotlight

Four out of Four Stars

Riveting, didactic, and unforgettable are some of the words to describe the new film, Spotlight. Between 2001 and 2002, The Boston Globe investigated an ongoing sex scandal in the Catholic Church in which 87 priests in the Boston area molested children and walked away without being arrested or exiled from the church. The Pulitzer-Prize winning exposé was reported by the Globe's Spotlight investigation team as they knocked on doors, chased down elusive and scathing documents and got unfiltered testimonies by victims. Directed by Tom McCarthy, and led by a stellar cast giving nothing short of incredible performances, Spotlight is one of the highlights of the year.

At the forefront of this amazing film is an incredible cast working off one another like a jazz ensemble. Michael Keaton, who plays Spotlight editor Walter "Robby" Robinson, gives a sharp performance as he tries to see through the corruption and BS around his city despite conflicting ethics and compromising results. Mark Ruffalo, an actor who hasn't made a false move even if he tried, gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Mike Rezendes, the religiously conflicted and tenacious reporter who wants to expose the case as much as his colleagues. Rachel McAdams gives a brilliant performance as Sacha Pfeiffer, the reporter who consoles and listens to the victims of sexual abuse. Stanley Tucci is entertaining as the snarky defense lawyer for sexually abused who confides in Rezendes over the conspiratorial nature of the church. Liev Schreiber and John Slatterly, who play editors Marty Baron and Ben Bradlee Jr. give solid and stoic performances reminiscent of Jason Robards and Jack Warden's performances in All The President's Men.

Drawing from the well of classic investigative journalism films like All the President's Men and The Insider, McCarthy and Josh Singer's sharp and stinging screenplay doesn't miss a beat or falls into a pile of cliches due to the timelessness of the story and its significance in today's world fueled by sex scandals and rape allegations. Masanobu Takayanagi's cinematography captures the tightrope of subtlety and suspense the film walks upon through reverse pull shots and tracking shots reminiscent of the cinematography of Harris Savides' work on Zodiac. Tom McArdie's editing is sharp and precise during the ongoing conversations between the reporters in and out of the newsroom. Howard Shore's ominous, piano-filled score projects the cathartic nature of the victims describing their traumatic experiences with their priests with the right amount of subtlety rather than going into melodramatic territory.

In a year that has not really been strong in terms of film quality as opposed to quantity, Spotlight is a breath of fresh air by going back to the basics of classic filmmaking by relying on solid acting ensembles, subtle cinematography, and strong storytelling.              

Brooklyn

3 out of 4 Stars

Brooklyn is a warm and lighthearted film about the struggles of finding love and finding a place in the world. Set in the early 1950s, Saoirse Ronan plays Ellis, a young woman who leaves her home in Ireland for America and learns about the hardships of leaving home while working at an upscale department store in New York City. Helping Ellis adapt to her new surroundings is a benevolent priest (Jim Broadbent), a sharp tongue and tempered boarding house mistress (A very funny Julie Walters), and letters from home penned by her sister, Rose (Fiona Glascott). As soon as she acclimates to the Big Apple, Ellis meets Tony (Emory Cohen), an Italian-American plumber who is over the moon for her. It isn't until an unfortunate event occurs that Ellis has to go back to Ireland where she meets the suave Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson) and she becomes torn between her new home in Brooklyn
and her Irish homestead.

The film is nothing new in terms of immigration love stories (i.e. Goodbye, Columbus and America, America), yet it shines from Nick Hornby's romantic and humorous script along with John Crowley's direction. Unlike other Irish-based films, like Angela's Ashes, Brooklyn does not fall into a pit of dreariness or into a cesspool of schmaltz as the film finds a balance that makes the experience enjoyable thanks to a solid cast of actors. Carrying the film from being a ho-hum romance is Saoirse Ronan as she gives a stunning and poignant performance as Ellis as she weathers the storms of conflicted emotions with such grace and heart, which is what Brooklyn is all about.