To Catch a Predator: Priest Edition

Opening with a scene set on a snowy Boston night 1976, in a police station, the audience listens to a conversation between a lawyer and a cop about the molestation charges toward a priest, him and his victim are somewhere in the station. Not much later we see the priest walking out of the station, he is free and the victim is most likely feeling imprisoned in his own mind not to feel heard for many years.

Jump forward a few decades we find ourselves in 2001 at the Boston Globe and with its notorious team of investigative reports section that has been deemed the name Spotlight. You don’t need a date marker to show you that it’s the early 2000s, for the costume department and design team did an amazing job with transporting us back, making sure there is no evidence of iPhones and Pokémon Go scoters. From the clothes to the flip phones and even the cars, all are visuals of the early beings of the millennial area.

This film is a brilliant example of the hard world that is investigative journalism, bringing to life the work and lives of the journalist who wrote the article that rocked, not only Boston, but America to its core. Exposing the decades of on going sexual abuse toward children by priest, and the Catholic Church doing everything in its power to cover it up. A horrifying true story about the corruption in this centuries old institution.

Tom McCarthy, an actor turned director, has only directed five films before this award winning film, all films did not amount to much, but that didn’t stop him from continuing to be a director. Having also helped write the screenplay, this fresh director brings together an amazing cast to portray what might be some of the bravest journalist. Michael Keaton, playing the seasoned reporter head of Spotlight, Walter “Robby” Robinson. His trusty gang of fellow reporters are: hot headed Mike Rezendes, played by the brilliant Mark Ruffalo, driven Sacha Pfeiffer played by the beautiful Rachel Macadam, and concerned father Brian d’ Racy played by the ever talented Matt Caarrol. McCarthy also adds Levi Schrieber to the mix, playing the newly appointed Jewish Editor in Chief from Miami and Stanley Tucci playing the lawyer who wants justice for his abused clients.

This amazing cast and director drive this story brilliantly, the film is not fast paced, it takes place over the course of eight months, but yet the acting, the beautifully written screenplay and just the story itself keeps the audiences full and undivided attention. We watch as we follow what work went into creating the infamous article that this team published in 2002 that won them a Pulitzer Prize. We see the catholic background journalist covering all the bases, from the interviewing the victims, knocking on the priest doors, talking to the lawyers, police officers, and all the way to the Catholic Church it’s self, who refused to talk and/or acknowledge the horridness acts being carried out by some of their priest.

Quickly, it is understood that almost all child molesting priests have one kind of child in mind. It is usually a boy who comes from a low income broken home family where their religion means everything and most likely an absent father. Early on the journalist are warned that once the church catches wind that they are doing this that they will do everything in their power to disprove it and shut it down, but it does not scare them, even the tragic events of 9/11 do not hinder this teams mission to do what journalist are called to do, expose the truth.

There comes a breaking point scene that really shows the passion of making this article. It depicts Mark Ruffolo’s character lashing out in front of his co-workers. Making them realize how important this story is and that it could have been anyone of them as well. The scene also reminds the audience the same thing.

As the film draws to a close, Spotlight finds 80 priest that have done these horrible acts, and not only to one child. We see our beloved team on the morning after their article is published, they are waiting for the picketing, but instead they are greeted by the constant ringing of telephones. And on the other side of these phones: victims eager to share their stories finally getting the voice they have been denied for so long. The scene fades out as Robby answers his own office phone.

Usually in a film like this the “where are they now” segment greets the audience, but no, a list of other places in America where the catholic churches have been exposed is shown and then the credits roll. Ending on the phone calls like it did shows a horrible, but true fact: this article exposed this corruption, but it couldn’t stop it from continuing, the phones will continue to ring.

In the end the director, writers and actors did a brilliant job of giving a visual to the world, of what the famous article showed, they reminded the viewers of the importance of journalism and also showed what the main goal of every journalist should be: exposing the truth. With its perfect depiction of the lives and stressful late night, it helps bring a new respect for investigative reporting. This is a film that will not be quickly forgotten and it will continue to captivate audiences and send the message loud and clear to the dirty priest and corrupt churches that they will be exposed one way or another.

The only complaint I have for this film is that Rachel Macadam’s has a Boston accent in the film, even though Sasha grew up in Ohio, but it is a mistake I am willing to overlook.