Text/Ghost Seven
2015 is definitely a small year for movies, whether it is for Hollywood or world movies. However, Xiaonian is not without outstanding works coming out, but perhaps just saying that there are not enough people A surprise "accident" appeared. Steadily review the biographical films, big-scene science fiction films, and light and natural romance films. Most of them are the routines that we are accustomed to, but old bottles can always produce new wine, not to mention the new wines made from old bottles often have more flavor. "Focus" is just such a representative.
As another film adapted from real events, "Focus" tells the process of the 2002 "The Boston Globe"'s "Focus" group collecting evidence, investigating and reporting a series of cases of priests sexually assaulting children in the Boston area. The typical story line of press freedom against social authority. In fact, "Focus" is not the type that makes Chinese audiences seem attracted at first glance. This is not only because this story about media exposing the gloom of society is almost in the eyes of Chinese people. It is the American version of "Focus Interview", but also because of the case of priests sexually assaulting children and the reflection on the entire church system in our reality. However, our feelings during the viewing process are quite the opposite. Even if we do not know the American church system well, we will understand the pressures faced by the investigation team; even if we are not religious, we can also experience the innocent children being hurt by respected priests. What kind of scars will be left in the future; even if we have not worked as a reporter or editor, we can still see the protagonist’s professional ethics and ethics in tracing the truth. These are the wonderful features of "Focus". It comes from concrete reality but conveys universal emotions. In addition to using images to expose the scandals of the year and show the heroes who work silently behind the news, "Focus" has almost simultaneously become a new model of socially sensitive films adapted from real events. It’s no surprise that this full, steady, unsharp yet powerful film has become one of the Oscar’s popular films. What’s more, no matter what the outcome, "Focus" has become the same as its "predecessor" "Presidential Team", and it has become an important issue for press freedom. And the best interpretation of the power of the media.
Self-cultivation of the media
The story of the film began when the "Boston Globe" ushered in the new editor-in-chief Marty Barron. When the new official took office, Marty suggested that the "Focus" team should restart the investigation of the previously reported case of priest sexual assault on children. According to Marty, who looks calm and steady, "this case is not over yet." As a result, the four reporters of the "Focus" group began to sweep away the dust of this dusty case, and reopened to investigate the deeper truth behind the case.
The results are of course astonishing. The number of priests involved in the case ranged from a few to dozens, civil victim groups, important evidence of court unblocking, "the truth that everyone knows but did not disclose", and the dissuasion from friends in the religious circles until the last one. The shocking report finally came out. "Focus" undoubtedly demonstrated the tenacity of the professionalism of journalists in this process. For the American society that advertises "freedom", the freedom of public opinion is naturally an important part. You can report on government scandals. You can criticize the corruption in the officialdom, you can blame public figures for their gaffes, but challenging the church is another matter. The "Focus" group of four challenged not only one or two priests who are rapists, but also the protection of the entire church system for these tainted priests. Therefore, it is not difficult for us to understand that the report of that year caused such a huge response after the publication, and it is not difficult to understand the refreshing expressive power of the calm and simple method adopted in the whole process of the film.
"Focus" is a common narrative routine of confrontation between good and evil, but it is an uncommon work that does not deliberately exaggerate tension and conflict. There is no adventure to go through in the film to dig the truth, no threats and attacks by the church, no secret destruction by the villain, and not even too many inner struggles and emotional transformations of the protagonist. The film just shows the reporters in a simple, step-by-step manner. How do we fulfill our responsibilities and use the power of public opinion to counteract power. Rather than saying that the two sides confronting each other in the story are justice and evil, it is better to say that the reporter's professional ethics persistence and the laissez-faire of the trend. "Focus" has become a tribute to the profession and responsibility of journalists-the reality may be like this. There is no heroic and dramatization of charging into battle, but only trivial and small work, but for the journalists seeking the truth, it is precisely this way. In the step by step trivia, the power to change the status quo has been accumulated. Not only that, "Focus" celebrates the courage and resilience of press freedom, and it does not deify these mortals who are always negligent. As the investigation progressed, the "Focus" team found that the reason why this report was ended hastily that year and did not continue to investigate, the biggest responsibility is not others, but themselves. Various information, further evidence, and even more lists of priests involved in the case were sent to the newspaper, but they were easily ignored and ignored. "Focus" leader Robbie stood up at the end of the film to reflect on his negligence. This is the biggest highlight of "Focus" on the theme. It does not deify the warriors, nor does it blindly praise their actions. Perhaps it is in this contrast that we have been able to see the importance of the profession of journalism: every thought will live and death, perhaps every detail determines the fate of someone who does not know where. When the tension of the whole film just relaxed, the director reluctantly made the audience startled in a cold sweat. Yes, it is not over. It is not just that the bishop has not received the sanctions he deserves, but ironically. Being transferred back to higher-level churches, there are more similar things happening around the world; at the same time, it is because the struggle between the profession of journalists and the slack of human nature is far from over. It is in this sense that with the report published at the end of the film, the phone calls coming in from all directions have become an inspiring force in contrast with the neglected materials before.
On the other hand, why “Focus” insists on investigating this long-closed case? As Robbie’s lawyer friend who defended the priest said, it’s just that the new editor-in-chief will “Focus” in order to add a little bit of visibility to himself. "Use it as a tool, then pat your butt and leave? This is indeed a problem. For the few people who were born and raised in Boston in the "Focus" group, the sequelae of challenging the local church may be far beyond their expectations. The brave who pursues the truth often end up betraying their relatives. The film did not explain any specific changes in the lives of several people after the report was published. But one of the members of the group, Sasha's grandmother, is a devout believer. At the end of the film, she shows her eyes full of loneliness while reading the newspaper. Sasha stays aside, but can't do anything. Yes, the conflict between truth and emotion is so terrible, so uncomfortable. Even so, they have to do it. Even if they offend friends or hurt their relatives, they still have to do it. The reason for this has been stated by the "initiator" Marty of the whole incident as early as the beginning: "Reporting such news, That’s why I am engaged in this profession.” So simple and direct, investigating the truth and making it public, seems like a reporter’s instinct without choice. The film did not shout such slogans, but clearly demonstrated such value judgments. Many years later, "Focus" may appear in journalism majors in colleges and universities. This film explains the questions of "what is a reporter" and "how to be a reporter" in a textbook-like sense as far as possible.
The restrained elegy of the paper-media era
"Focus" gives people the first impression that it is a classic film. This impression comes partly from the film's calm narrative style, partly from the rhythm that does not pursue drama, but more, perhaps from this story. It is full of nostalgia for traditional paper media.
On the one hand, this feeling is reflected in the presentation and expression of the daily work of the newspaper. During the entire investigation process, the “focus” group did the most to interview the parties, collect information, and screen news. The film tirelessly demonstrated this repetition. The monotonous process, a large number of newspaper clippings cut into small pieces, piles of files, cost notes, and repeated phone calls make people almost wonder how far such work is from the real core of the case. The most representative one was when the investigation team found a list of priests in the district. It was found that priests who had been sexually assaulted were transferred from the original diocese by the church under various excuses and went to the new diocese. . In the face of the huge volume of information, to find out those priests who have violated the law is tantamount to finding a needle in a haystack. The protagonists of the film took the most primitive method, screening out the priests who were frequently transferred from the list, and then seeking verification and verification in turn. This is a boring process. The invisible contest between the four weak group members and the illegal priests hidden in several major personal names catalogues is visualized through these plain and boring materials. Here, the traditional media, or more accurately, the formal power of paper media clearly surpasses the modern media. The reliance on data may still play an important role in the contemporary new media industry, but it is far less than what we have seen in the huge database shown in "Focus" that people can intuitively feel the shock. We can see To the extent that the modern American press has carefully preserved and summarized the past materials, you can also feel the quaint media spirit of the protagonists in the film. The film’s homage and remembrance to the traditional media, which is now regarded as the sunset industry, has not been transformed into the twitching emotions of the weak, but it is showing its strength, courage and tenacity. This no-humble remembrance is not only projected on the story itself of exposing power in black and white, but also on every participant who has practiced it in this struggle. Perhaps the most brilliant person in the "Focus" group is Mike played by Mark Ruflow. This impulsive but clean reporter always carries a huge briefcase and walks between the court, the victim and the database. It's almost blank. This kind of pure enthusiasm has a strong nostalgia. This kind of character will remind us of the similar professionalism in "The Book of the Boat". Perhaps the difference lies in the Japanese-style warm brushwork used in "The Book of Ships" and the feelings of the hardship and tenacity of the book editor sitting alone in the cold window, while the "Focus" excavated from the members of the investigation team is the ordinary and boring daily life. The infinite passion hidden under the work.
Looking at "Focus" from this perspective, we will discover how rare it is for the film to achieve a delicate balance between the shocking story itself and the professionalism that the simple and plain style tries to show. Even though we already knew that this story came from a real event, we already knew that all crimes would eventually be revealed to the world, but when the priest involved in the case went from reported cases to 13 victims’ group statistics, to 90 estimated by private researchers, Until the "Focus" team finalized the list, 87 were displayed on the computer screen. The investigative team used a foolish way to restore the truth from the old paper piles and the people involved in the case that was concealed and hidden by the church. Of course, this process is far less exciting than going deep into the tiger’s den in an action movie to steal an important document, and it is not as exciting as the court. In the film, the confrontation in court is a wonderful face-to-face confrontation. However, “Focus”’s review of traditional media lies precisely in the fact that in the most unpretentious actions, everyone’s hard work and persistence, resentment towards the priest involved, the responsibility to protect the children, and the persistence in the truth are all condensed into one. Fold thin newspapers. This materialized object was distributed to every household in Boston at the end of the film. We can’t directly see the church’s reaction from the movie. All the repercussions and shocks are hidden in the darkness raised by the ending credits. However, this group of prints is regarded as backward in the information age, but it is far more than the computer. An article on the screen can stir our hearts even more. In this story that ended the film with silent announcements and disclosures, "Focus" completed the highest praise for traditional media: it stays away from the hustle and bustle, away from people's center of attention, away from fashion and trends, but it always does it. Essential work-supervise and torture the world.
Road to Oscar
Works with real story backgrounds are easier to win at the Oscars. It seems that it has become an open secret. Last year's "Theory of Everything" and "Imitation Game" came from celebrity experience. In 2014, "Twelve Years of Being a Slave" and "Dallas Buyer" "The Club" is adapted from the survival story of the little man, and the further "Lincoln" and "Escape from Tehran" show the broader history of the United States and the world. Every year at the Oscars, there will always be several adaptations of real events appearing on the shortlist. The reason may be that these films are based on major historical events, or films based on American social news have already been in the theater for audiences. I have already enjoyed the "achievements" accumulated by previous real events and news reports. The same is true of "Focus". In the face of the scandal of the priest's sexual assault on children, the indignant audience has long seen the development of the whole story in the series of reports. They may have already been in their minds when they bought tickets and entered the theater. It is pre-determined to expose the dark drama of the church once again, thus standing on the same front line with the protagonists of the film.
Of course, the recognition that came out of thin air is a good condition for the film itself, and "Focus" is fortunately not messed up under such conditions. The film wisely avoided retelling the case and focused on the behind-the-scenes work before the famous report went out. It was an important choice. Hidden the focus of the case-the priest behind the narrative, not only gives the film more space to show the spirit of the real main characters and reporters, but more importantly, it avoids crude value judgments and hostile accusations. Obviously, what the priest did deserves to be flogged, but this is not what the film will do. "Focus" states the process of revealing the truth itself, and the audience is left to choose the attitude towards the truth—believe that audiences are more insightful and good and disgusting than we thought, and they do not need to be guided and disgusted. lead. In fact, this kind of refusal to comment on the results is not a choice for the creators to avoid the problem, but on the contrary, in too many similar films, the film embeds strong judgments into the film, turning a piece of video into a message. Presented on the cinema screen. This choice is certainly far from wrong, but in "Focus", the calm and restrained attitude finally gives the film a heavier texture. More importantly, in this real case involving sensitive topics such as religion, children, law and fairness, how to show the truth objectively and sincerely, and how to not become a farce of playing gimmicks and exposing scars, is more important than disclosing the truth. . It is precisely because of this that we saw in the film the members of the investigation team filtering the list of suspicious persons over and over again. What they face is not only the life-long shadow that victims may face, but also the beliefs and feelings of countless believers. When the first list was released, the editor-in-chief Marty insisted not to publish it for the time being, and continued to search for decisive evidence that could completely refute the bishop. This was undoubtedly responsible for the victims; and before the final publication, the team leader Robbie took the lead. The list again asked the lawyer who had defended the priest to confirm that this was in a sense responsible for justice. The meaning of justice is not only to punish evil, but also to protect the innocent. The calm tone of "Focus" and director Thomas McCarthy's cautious expression of value have combined to achieve the excellent quality of the film. In "Focus," which lacks visual stimulation and intense plot, it is this calm and restraint that has led to the Oscar ranking. The nomination queue is not inferior to the unique temperament of any blockbuster film.
Speaking of back to the Oscars, "Focus" has multiple nominations including best picture, best director, and best original screenplay. In the previous several outpost awards, "Focus" has also been repeatedly nominated for this number. Awards. On the other hand, the eight works nominated for the best film this year, whether it is the media or the academy, the popular movies that are generally optimistic include "Focus", "Big Short" and "Wild Hunter", while one of the latter two works lacks the "Focus" uphold With a heavy humanistic sentiment, another film that is almost tailor-made for Xiao Lizi, "Focus" was always favored on the odds list of bookmakers and it is not unreasonable. For McCarthy, who is also an actor, screenwriter, and director with multiple identities, it seems that the first Oscar trophy in his career is a matter of course. As for whether this trophy will be the best director or even the best film, "Focus" still has enough reasons to look forward to.
Focus behind
Director Thomas McCarthy has also directed several films before, but most of them are light and humorous small-format comedies. After selecting this series of reports from the Boston Globe as the adaptation targets, McCarthy began non-stop preparatory work, not only in order to make the film show a gentle and calm style, but also worked with the screenwriter to revise countless drafts and review. He re-experienced a large amount of information that the "Focus" group had consulted that year. At the end of the film, the investigative group suddenly discovered that the leaked information that it had missed was exactly what McCarthy had discovered in the process of reading past newspaper clippings. He added this detail to the film, and Robbie's self-blame became a highlight of the promotion of the film's theme. The main actors in the film even "squeezed" every drop of resources available for performance from the prototype characters. Michael Keaton moved directly to the home of Robbie, the leader of the "Focus" group, and continued to study The video and recording of the other party’s speech, so when he first met Robbie, he was able to surprise Robbie with a vivid imitation; and Mark Ruffano even came to Mike with the script and asked him to give him a try. Read the lines every word, and imitate them again. It’s hard to say that the “stupid method” of the "Focus" creative team is worth learning from other filmmakers, but what is certain is that in this kind of attitude of excellence, this film has no Hollywood mode, no action drama, no love and sex. , There is no big scene, and there is no big box office appeal. The film has become a good work. Whether it's Thomas McCarthy, who is relatively junior, or the actors who have splendidly turned from the superhero set, they have repeatedly given the best shortcuts to realize their ideals in and out of the scene. Perhaps it is to keep the original intention and determination.
The popularity of "Focus" during the awards season once again pushed journalism and the profession of journalists to the center of the audience's focus. Coincidentally, another film showing the experience of journalists was also released in 2015. However, Mary Maples, the protagonist in the film "The Truth," which is also an attempt to reveal the hidden secret story, has become a counterexample. In 2004, she pointed the finger at Bush Jr., who was seeking re-election as the president, and pointed out that he enjoyed special treatment during his military service. However, the facts proved that the materials from Maples were forged. In contrast, it is not difficult for us to understand that the shocking point of the story of the “focus” group is not that they dare to challenge authority, but that they know how to make their challenges more meaningful and valuable. The complex and vivid characters created by "Focus" make the film one of the most classic news stories in history, from the suspenseful "Presidential Team" to the "Breaking Inside Story" that exposes the truth about tobacco companies. ", and then to the heroic "News Room". The reporters on the screen have accused the president of the scandal, exposed the conspiracy of business tycoons, and had TV series full of tendencies. "Focus" has indeed opened up new space. With the new form, the story directly refers to the religious beliefs of all Americans, but the attitude is indeed restraint and caution that have not been seen in any similar work, even including self-reflection. Perhaps we would say that in these films where the media exposed the conspiracy, the simple and sweet American dream of the past has long since disappeared, and the American reality in the film is riddled with scars, but it is also in these films that the film people are scarred. New cowboys are created in the reality of the world, and "Focus" has become a part of this. It continues to shape the lone hero of the media age after classic works such as "Presidential Team" and "Breaking Inside Story". This may be the reason why Oscar owes two trophies to the films and will eventually be given.
Originally posted on Mtime.com ( http://news.mtime.com/2016/02/23/1552645.html )
View more about Spotlight reviews
