Overview
The true story of how The Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.
To say I really wanted to like this film doesn’t sound quite right but an investigative journalism film that involves the Catholic Church and a cover up is of particular interest. I couldn’t fault the acting, Mark Ruffalo was particularly excellent, and I’m sure the storyline was accurate as befits a piece of recent and shocking history. I was also relieved it didn’t sensationalise the persistent clerical abuse of children. In all those respects it ticked boxes but I felt it was too little, too late. We know what happened, sadly and at the beginning of the film when the team at The Boston Globe believe that 13 priests are involved we know that the investigation would go on to reveal that this was just the tip of a Titanicesque iceberg. I wasn’t surprised at the all pervading nature of the church, its ability to cover up and inveigle itself around the great and the good to gloss over its shortcomings. I lived in rural Ireland during the 80’s and saw first hand how this can work. Spotlight was a competent, well acted, respectful movie but, for me, there was something missing and it felt about half an hour too long.
