"Spotlight" Review

With this, I have seen 6 out of the 8 films nominated for picture of the year. This will probably be the last movie I get to watch before the big night on Sunday. Prior to this viewing, I had The Martian and Room tied, and I tipped towards Room because Room had a budget of 6 million dollars whereas The Martian had 108 million dollars to spend. Spotlight has now bumped The Martian out of the picture, and I am having trouble choosing between Room and Spotlight. If I were to remain consistent and give the tie to the movie with the smaller budget, then Room still wins (Spotlight had a budget of 20 million dollars). However, it is not that easy in this case. Room is the more emotionally charged movie, but Spotlight is the more important one. My biggest critique of "popular art" (Better worded as "popular entertainment") these days is that it's void of "substance". I use "substance" to bundle elements such as emotion, artistic integrity, and social contribution into a simple and convenient package. Scan the bland summer blockbuster movies or listen to any mainstream song, and I think you'll see what I mean. And because I score art by measuring how much emotion and social importance is packed into a piece, the decision between Room and Spotlight is not easy to me.
I have a group of friends that I discuss politics, religion, and social issues with. We've been discussing morality a lot lately, and the more I try to define that word, the more I realize the world lacks morality. Perhaps I am being too pessimistic, but I can tell you this movie didn't help. Yes, the protagonists navigate through an arena of darkness and bring light into the picture, but I see how outnumbered they are and that's what breaks my heart. Wide spread and prevalent negligence and malevolence on an institutional, societal, and personal level with no one willing to step up except the team at The Boston Globe and Spotlight. I've had stronger chills run through my body due to a movie, but I don't remember the last movie to send this many chills through my body.
From a production standpoint, this movie receives many high marks. The writing, the acting, the use of sound, and photography. The film like look pulls you back into the years these events actually occurred, the lighting looked more natural making the movie feel less produced, and the use of long lenses forces a feeling of caution. Spotlight has a lot of tough competition, but I'll be disappointed if the movie doesn't go home with at least one award.