An outstanding film that should have been made years ago, tackling the most controversial subject of our time

Rating: 10/10 (29 December 2015)

When the story broke about the systemic abuse in the Catholic Church between the members of the Clergy and children in their care and the cover up that followed it was world breaking stuff. It rightly shock the church to its core. Social Media made this possible and the cover up impossible to continue, one of the places where this started was the Boston Globe, who started investigating the story with its 'Spotlight' team, a group within the paper that investigate special interest stories. Led by Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton, first rate here as always) his small team take on the task full time only to have it temporarily delayed by the events of 9 / 11. But Robinson and his team are persistent and the more bureaucracy they come up against that seems determined to sweep things under the rug the more persistent they get until the bough breaks and final the cradle falls, leading to law suits world wide through out the church.
Cinema was made for films like these, not only is this film damn good, its probably one of the most important films to be made of the last decade and if its overlooked at the Oscars this will be nothing short of criminal. All the cast are first rate here and entirely convincing, from Rachel McAdams as the caring reporter with a heart, to Stanley Tucci's diligent yet suspicious lawyer whose all too aware of how fickle the loyalty of a reporter can be. Jamey Sheridan and Billy Crudup are just the right side of bent but it is Mark Ruffalo in his portrayal of reporter Mike Rezendes who take the acting honors here. His impassioned outburst must have resonated with many victims who were brave enough to watch the film when he cries out 'Why not now, what are we waiting for? We have to nail these bastards.' - Never before has a greater crime been committed against such a large number of innocent minors and all in the same of God. Watching the film makes me feel that the Church world wide should pay back every cent to the hell they put those people through. This film is not only demanding and rightly draining, it is vital viewing. Director Tom McCarthy should be proud of himself, because I know I am proud of him and writer Josh Singer, for bringing a project which was blacklisted, with a first rate script and cast to the screen.