Rachel McAdams, left, Mark Ruffalo, Brian d'Arcy James, Michael Keaton and John Slattery in the film “Spotlight.”
(Kerry Hayes / Open Road Films via AP)
Participant won its share of Oscars and critics' awards, but this film would have to be its most audacious success: an accelerant gamble that tackled real-life sexual predation in the Catholic Church. Just as moving (and not just for this writer), “Spotlight” hones the righteous power of the press, chasing a story at full speed and making a difference in the newsroom and beyond. There's no weak link in the assembled cast, a group that includes Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, John Slattery and Liev Schreiber, all believable as pavement-pounders for the Boston Globe. Comparing “Spotlight” to “All the President's Men,” even flatteringly, was almost too weak a compliment. It is a film that, if experienced at the right age, can turn someone into a journalist. (Starz)— Joshua Rothkopf
