Dedicated Testament to a Tireless Investigation

Rating: 9/10 (7 March 2016)

A really great, slow-burn investigative piece that pays fealty to classics of the genre like All the President's Men. It's been a while since I've seen a picture with this much grit, restraint and respect for the story, and that makes the last half-hour feel transcendent, even if it's also strikingly bittersweet. Michael Keaton is excellent in another Best Picture winner, his second in as many years, and Mark Ruffalo shows tremendous passion and fire in a major ensemble effort. There's nothing flashy or indulgent about Spotlight, a rarity nowadays, and that vacancy leaves room for us to observe and appreciate the difficult, compounded, thankless efforts of these masters of their profession. It's also, often, a stark reminder that 2001 (where the movie is set) wasn't just yesterday. The world has changed fundamentally over the past fifteen years, and it's staggering how often this comes across, effectively, as a period piece. Essential viewing for a wide variety of reasons.