Spotlight

[peter]

A long telling of the Boston Globe 'Spotlight' investigation into endemic sex abuse within the City's Roman Catholics priesthood and the institutionalised cover up that allowed it to persist over decades to almost the present day. Drawn out in parts, the film tells such an important story that it has to be seen, if only so that the true scale the corruption and human cost be realised. Ultimately uncovering over 250 offending priests and victims running into the thousands, the film hammers home again and again how the legal system and church (not to mention the state itself) contrived to keep this under wraps - and to what degree this situation has been mirrored across the entire world as a blind eye was turned to the horrendous cost the demands of 'celibacy' levied on perpetrators and victims both. A sad sad tale.

(It is one of those films where the story really outweighs the performances: Keaton et al do a file job but good as they are, they are ultimately subsumed by the importance of the tale they are telling.)

[peter]

Best film at the Oscars so it would appear. Well OK , don't know if I buy it but I'll accept it anyway.

[I'm Murrin]

I'm a little surprised you can have a Best Film that wasn't Best at any of the individual elements that went into the film other than Screenplay. Not entirely surprised; I suspect this is more of a political vote regarding the subject matter.

[peter]

I suppose if it were 'second best' in all the criteria, where others only shone in specific areas it might work - but I think I rather agree with you Murrin that this was more a political statement than anything else. Still - it's a powerfull piece of cinema, no denying that.

[Cagliostro]

It was definitely a good movie, but even for the "social relevance" movies, it packed less of a wallop for me than The Big Short. I saw 10 Cloverfield Lane recently, which creeped me out pretty good, but The Big Short was a scarier movie for me.

I saw more of the best picture nominees this year, and my favorite of what I have seen so far was The Martian, but if I could nominate and award a winner from all the flicks last year, it would be Inside Out.

Still, Spotlight was a great movie and I'm glad I saw it.

[dlbpharmd]

This film escaped me last year. I don't remember even hearing about it. I watched it on Netflix last night and was blown away. I didn't fully appreciate the Catholic Church sex scandal until now. I'm stunned by the magnitude of the horror the survivors endured.