Wasn't planning to see this movie, but then the Oscars happened

Rating: 9/10 (10 March 2016)

My wife and I caught the last showing of Spotlight today. The subject matter seemed too depressing to be taken as entertainment (I was brought up Catholic) and so we'd assiduously avoided seeing it. But then the Academy Awards passed up The Revenant, The Martian and Bridge of Spies for Best Picture and I was determined to see what the fuss was about.
I had thought the subject was the molestation of kids by priests. That's not something I was interested in. But actually the subject is much more how does the world learn about something as difficult to talk about? There's no denying the Catholic church gets its just deserts in the process, but the real lesson here is in story telling under difficult circumstances. And boy do they exhibit brilliance and sensitivity.
Some of the scenes where church officials are talking with editors from the Boston Globe are eerily realistic in that they will conjure up memories of similar real events. The way church officials work to protect its priests is disturbingly plausible.
There's almost no action or suspense but both my wife and I were riveted to the screen and barely fussed the entire movie.
It's hard to single out one actor as best out of this group. Ruffalo and Keaton clearly give it their all and have the most screen time. But then there's brilliance in even the fairly minor parts. I'd reluctantly give MVP to Liev Schreiber. I love his Ray Donovan but I had no idea he was capable of becoming a bookish editor of such quiet appeal. Every minute he's on screen he tends to steal the show.
If there were ever a movie that illustrated how the art of movie making is one of collaboration and ensemble, this is it. I'm stunned how the screen writers managed such territory, but then without the complete understanding and commitment of director and actors, it could have sat there like a deflated balloon. Talk about an anticlimax. I'm quite sure everyone involved in this film was already feeling as proud as a peacock before winning the Oscar. The award merely indicates the Academy is not as dotty as it sometimes seems.