The sober truth

Rating: 9/10 (9 March 2016)

To escape or to face. The power of the great movie is impossible to deny. This is a great movie and we are squarely facing.
Religion is an institution, perhaps the most powerful of them all. So is Walmart. Or the Yankees. I'm English so maybe the royal family too. All of these are symbols of brand, escape, loyalty, hope and belonging. When you feel a connection to a club then it is all the more shocking if you discover it is corrupt. If that corruption translates to deviance how can you ever trust or believe in that institution again? Do you choose to challenge, defend or ignore?
We are transported to Boston in the 1990's. Spotlight is an investigative branch of the Globe newspaper. These are a team of journalists who work on the big cases. No major deadlines, time to find the truth, reporting when (and if) they have tangible information. We join the narrative when a new out of town editor from Florida (Marty Baron) takes the reigns. A true story of scandal, child abuse and cover ups unravel which is truly shocking.
The cast performances are to be commended. Whether you are a paid actor or not this must have been an emotional project to be involved in. The whole movie is from the perspective of the reporters and the subsequent investigation. We truly get to know them personally. The victims voices are also clearly heard with heart felt empathy and dignity.
It's a true story. From the outset the sad, distressing and inevitable conclusion is known. The real truth however is that the ensuing tale is even more compelling and tragic than we assume. Check the end credits.
A superb movie that you wish never needed to be made. Alas it did.