Review of Spotlight (2015) by Herndonrules — 17 Jan 2016

One of the best major films of the year. Many will be familiar with at least some aspects of the story, but that doesn't matter since the movie tells the tale in an engrossing manner. Very strong ensemble cast with every actor giving a laudable performance.

Schreiber, Keaton and Ruffalo stand out. It has pacing of the standard investigative journalism film, which could frustrate some viewers, yet never seemed slow or boring to me. Instead, the viewer is quickly drawn into a "cover up" of voluminous proportions and the reporters attempt to unravel a conspiracy.

Although my family and I were deeply moved, the only minor criticism is that the film leaves opportunities to affect viewer's emotions even further on the table. More focus on the victims and the indelible scars left on both they and their families would have made for an even more affecting film.

That written, the movie succeeds tremendously on every level and should be a must see for those who enjoy a good story which is well told, well acted and well filmed.