Spotlight (2015) Open Road Films/Entertainment One Features 📢 Director: Tom McCarthy. 💰 Producers: Blye Pagon Faust, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, Michael Sugar. 👫 Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci. 🏆 Awards ceremony: -88th Academy Awards: February 28, 2016. Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. 🎭 Other films nominated for Best Picture this year: -The Big Short. -Bridge Of Spies. -Brooklyn. -Mad Max: Fury Road. -The Martian. -The Revenant. -Room. 📕 Plot summary: Based on true events. When a new editor takes charge of the Boston Globe in 2001, a selection of his staff known as the 'Spotlight' team are assigned to investigate an historical case involving the Catholic Church and a cover-up of sexual abuse of children at the hands of priests which had been swept under the carpet 25 years previously. 💥 Standout scene(s): -When one of the victims, Phil Saviano (NEAL HUFF), comes forward with a box full of evidence and presents it to the Spotlight team. -The scene with Sacha (RACHEL McADAMS) asking the vicar Ronald Paquin (RICHARD O'ROURKE) on his doorstep about the abuse of children and him admitting to it freely. -The best scene for me was when Mike (MARK RUFFALO) takes the papers to the team and urges them to go public with it immediately but Robby (MICHAEL KEATON) refuses. 🔑 Facts: -The 88th Academy Awards. -Nominated for 6 Academy Awards, it won 2: Best Picture, Original screenplay. -Second (consecutive) Best Picture appearance for Michael Keaton (Birdman). 🙂 Personal opinion: After a relatively slow start, the story builds nicely and bubbles and brews as the investigation gains momentum and more people come forward. I do have some questions regarding the casting of some key characters (such as Liev Schreiber, for example) but the pacing is well handled and kept me interested for the most part. A very similar theme and storytelling as ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976). In general I did enjoy this one despite the slow parts and felt the subject matter was one of the key reasons why it deserved the Best Picture award. Did it deserve the Oscar? ✅YES. Good story, well told and better than the other candidates for Best Picture this year. 7½/10

Review date: 19 July 2025