Flushing Rats out of the Sewer

Rating: 8/10 (15 March 2016)

'Spotlight' provides a riveting look at the Boston Globe investigation of the Roman Catholic pedophile priest scandal. As almost everybody knows, the church hierarchy concealed their knowledge of numerous priests who were molesting and raping under-age parishioners. The cover-up of these serious felonies was orchestrated through pay-offs and arm-twisting by Boston's archbishop, the despicable Cardinal Bernard Law. This corrupt cleric seemed to rule over the city, and his criminal negligence allowed the depraved activity to continue for many years.
The victims were countless Bostonians who endured this abuse and had their lives ruined. The heroes were an embattled lawyer, a resolute editor and a small group of persistent journalists who dismantled the obfuscation and red tape of respected authority figures and entrenched institutions. The villains were Law, his venal church and the priests who pretended piety while they preyed upon the young. 'Spotlight' tells this twisted tale with excellent writing, direction and acting.
It's worth noting Law fled to Rome after the scandal broke, was given an honorary position and still lives in comfort in a Vatican palace. In 2012 he was the prime lobbyist against giving women more responsibility in the church. Nothing much appears to have changed in the RC Boys' Club.