This film won the Best Picture Academy Award in 2016, and I can see why. It is a compelling, important story that unfolds almost like a documentary, but is unmistakably a drama. And when you watch the "bonus features" and see the "Roundtable" with the actual Boston Globe journalists, you see what a great job the casting director did in matching similar actors to the real people. This is such a relevant and critical story told in this movie. Make no mistake-- it is not a "Church-bashing" film. In a way, I wish it had focused more on the abuse and the cover-up and the reactions of the church hierarchy and all of its "protectors." But, no, the film focuses more on the journalistic effort and the importance of investigative journalism -- something only newspapers can do, and something that is critically dying in this country. This investigation highlighted the role of journalism, and ignited a scandal in the Church that went national, and then global (currently being played out in Australia). Not many movies can claim to feature an episode that changed history. Read full review
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SPOTLIGHT has printer's ink on its rolled-up shirtsleeves as this expose on the Boston Catholic clergy shielding pedophiles unfolds! Never forgetting that a journalism team uncovered the magnitude of this scandal which rises to the upper echelons of the Vatican, SPOTLIGHT calmly, cooly, uses the Boston Globe investigators to show how this tragedy occurred in a great American city. The ensemble cast (including Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo in peak form) work together like a Swiss watch, there are no "gotcha" moments in writer/director Tom McCarthy's Oscar-winning movie, but the tension never slacks, the suspense never fades, and when the light breaks through we see how high the price was to make it so. This is the best journalism film I have ever seen and one of the best films I have ever seen, period!Read full review
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I was in my twenties when all this was taking place in Boston. A person heard a little about this 'horror' and it was always 'washed?' aside. Fifty years later, to see it all happening in a two-hour movie, before your very eyes, is astonishing. The portrayial of each character is very realistic and believable. It was an excellent privilege to see the interviews with all the 'real' persons involved, in Spotlight, solving this case. As it was stated, there is no more 'Spotlight' as Media coverage has changed immensely. I say, "too bad", bring back the Spolight. Then maybe, the real truth will be found out.
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Really, really well done; not a fictional story either. I wish everyone on the planet would get their hands on this movie & watch it, because not everyone is aware of the magnitude of the horrible damage hundreds of Catholic clergy members have done to children; these children are scarred for life, and it changed them forever. Many victims have committed suicide and/or turned to alcohol/drugs, unable to reconcile the abuse they experienced as children. This is going on all over the world; Boston just happens to be the first big city to get the most attention paid to the issue in the media (thanks to the reporters in the Boston Globe who struggled against all odds to get this story to press, as portrayed in this movie). Please watch it, then pass it on to as many people as you can. The word needs to get out, the abuse HAS to stop and abusers need to go to jail, all across the world. The church needs to clean up it's mess & start fresh with GOOD clergy at the helm. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The subject of this movie is the uncovering of the cover-up by bishops and the catholic church, of many, many cases of priests' sexually abusing minors. Not a happy subject. Yet, this movie was very well-made, and well-acted, and it had me wanting "VICTORY" for the reporters/their story/the victims, such that I cried at the ending. It is educational. Not a fun or happy movie, but it is riveting and educational, and definitely worth seeing....
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