Spotlight

Spotlight

Rating 8 out of 10

This movie has been getting great reviews and mentioned on many top ten lists so I thought I'd give it a try.  I remember when this was in the news several years ago and then it died out.  I'm sure the movie will suffer with so many Americans being Catholic and I feel most will avoid this movie which is understandable in not being a great time in the history of the Catholic church.

The movie takes place in 1990s (I think) Boston when a new editor takes (Marty Baron- Live Schreiber)  over the Boston Globe newspaper.  He is the first Jewish editor in the papers history and isn't afraid of taking on religious (Catholic) issues in a town very much dominated by Catholics.  When news comes up about a priest molesting a young boy Baron orders the paper to investigate it instead of sweeping it to the side like they have in the past.  The paper had a small group of investigative reporters called Spotlight that specializes in hard hitting stories just like this one.

After alot of digging they find evidence of nearly 90 priests in the Boston area alone that have been accused of molesting young children.  To make a horrible situation even worse they unearth evidence that many in the church hierarchy know about the molesters and instead of doing anything they pay off the victims and move the priest to another church.

The movie is not out to slam Christians or even the Catholic church.  They mostly zero in on the bad apples that let things get out of control.  They make that clear.

I will say this movie will probably be shown at film schools for how acting is supposed to be done.  Michael Keaton is fantastic.  Way better than last years Birman.  Mark Ruffalo, Rachael McAdams, Stanley Tucci (always great), Schreiber, Billy Crudup, ect.  Everyone does a great acting job.

The movie is a little slow in building when you already know how it turns out.  Yet it kept my interest the whole time.  The two hour movie moved along and never once had me looking at my watch.  Probably not for everyone but good rainy day movie for me.