Riveting, considered film-making people don't see so much of these days

Rating: 9/10 (28 February 2016)

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
In 2001, the Boston Globe received a lead on a child sex abuse scandal that concerned priests in the Catholic church. The ensuing investigation revealed that the accusations weren't limited to just one or two individuals, but in fact spanned many victims over many years around many parts of the globe. Journalists Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton), Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfieffer (Rachel McAdams) and Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) and their editor Ben Bradlee Jr. (John Slattery) risk the wrath of some very powerful people to bring the truth to light and expose an earth shattering truth.
Spotlight arrives at a time that is quite darkly fitting for its subject matter, certainly on these shores, with a recent report stating that sexual abuse of minors is widespread in a variety of different institutions, including schools, churches, the entertainment industry, care homes and political establishments, that has unmasked an horrific reality behind entities that we took for granted, and always assumed were beyond that sort of indecency. It also highlighted why investigative journalism is so important, and what consequences limiting freedom of the press could have.
An all star cast head up the production, including come-back kid Michael Keaton, as the more mature, middle aged member of the group, and Liev Schreiber in a similarly considered role. It's actually Ruffalo who takes centre stage, as one of the main reporters, that will probably divide some opinion. Maybe he's just a little too fixated, laying it on a little too thick and grabbing everything, doing things too intently and coming at people like he's about to attack them, that his performance seems a little hammy. But equally, you could say it's passionate and intense, what makes a role like this work.
It doesn't seem to have lasted long at UK cinemas, not surprising when you consider this is the sort of intelligent, considered fare that doesn't come out so much nowadays. But all the same, that's exactly what it is, on a similar theme to All The President's Men forty years ago and equally as shattering in its conclusion. ****