Won: Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
Spotlight tells the true story of an investigation undertaken by the Boston Globe's Spotlight team to uncover a horrendous scandal amongst the Catholic Church. This story broke shortly after the events of 9/11 and was the first major news story since that horrific event and the story earned the Spotlight team a Pulitzer Prize in 2003. Tom McCarthy directs and does a terrific job ensuring the film has a tangibility to it in the sense that I felt that I was watching an actual news reporter team investigation. Spotlight was a unique cinematic experience for me because the film's tension continued to snowball, deepening my interest and intrigue as the film progressed. The film's story is very engaging and only draws more interest throughout the film. The entire ensemble cast of Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci were spectacular. I'm sure a few members of the cast will likely at least earn a few awards nominations but I felt that Mark Ruffalo was the huge standout. Mark Ruffalo definitely gives one of the best performances of his career as his character becomes a workaholic, which provides Ruffalo with some great character moments. There was never a moment that I felt I was watching these high profile actors but rather a group of very dedicated investigative reporters. The acting is also great in another regard because it all feels so real because all of the actors act like actual people in these situations rather than expressing over the top emotions, which would feel awkward in this film because of how the performances are subtle and tangible. I enjoyed Spotlight significantly more than I thought I would, as usually some of the awards buzz heavy films are either a hit or miss with me, and I'm fairly certain that Spotlight will receive a plethora of Academy Award nominations and won't be surprised to see it win in a few categories. I'd highly recommend the film for those interested in "Oscar bait" films or those who just want to learn about an intriguing true story.
