The Catholic Movie That Is Not A Catholic Movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                      Isn't that John Slattery a hot, Silver Daddies thing, girls?????????  I am telling you, older men are the ones who have it.  The young, toothsome ones are tasty and flavorful, but for sexual staying power, John and his type are tops in my book.  Not to mention that he is one of our best character actors, and acts up a storm as Benjamin Bradley, Jr. in the film "Spotlight."

                       This is the first decent film I have seen this year, darlings, but I have to say, I had my reservations.  I knew, going in, it was  going to deal with the Boston Globe's scandalous discovery of all the sexual abuse committed against the young by ordained Catholic priests throughout the Catholic world populace.  And especially the city of Boston.

                        So, I cringed at the idea of seeing scenes I would never want to sit through again, like those in an earlier film on sexual abuse, "The Boys Of St. Vincent," from way back in 1992.  But the most disturbing scene in the entire film turns out to be an encounter by Rachel McAdams and a retired Catholic priest living with his spinster sister, who looks like a deranged ex-nun, herself, where he blithely admits to molesting all these boys with the aplomb you or I would mention about going to the store for a quart of milk.  The cluelessness of this man to his wrongdoing, whether it be genuine or pretend, is genuinely chilling.

                         Make no mistake about, it, girls, director Tom McCarthy, who wrote the screenplay with Josh Singer, deals with the abuse head on.  But this is as much a movie about investigative journalism, as it is about scandal in the Roman Catholic church.  Think back to "All The President's Men, where Woodward and Bernstein's pursuit of the truth was as important as the Watergate scandal being dealt with.  "Spotlight" has the same dramatic template.

                          It also has this dream ensemble cast, which McCarthy directs to perfection; several of whom I see slated for Oscar nominations.  Besides Slattery, there is Mark Ruffalo, skilled actor, and delicious as always, for those who prefer them younger, as reporter Mike Rezendes.   He never loses his skill for a second.  The two revelations are Brian D'Arcy James, more known for his work on the New York stage, as reporter Matt Carroll.  Who would have thought he could act on film, but he goes at the role with conviction, like he has been doing it all his life.  He just about--emphasis on those last two words--steals the film.  Then, there is Rachel McAdams, whom I never thought of much as more than a pretty thing--the only film I recall seeing her in was 2004's "The Notebook," which reduced me to tears, thanks to Ryan Gosling's breakout performance as Noah.  But, in a role that I could have seen either Kate Winslet or Amy Adams better suited to, McAdams brings an understated maturity to the role I never would have thought her capable of, especially in that all important scene between she and the retired priest.    

                             And, heaven forbid I I should not mention the star turn by veteran Michael Keaton, as Walter "Robbie" Robinson.  Not only is it one of his best performances, I believe he is another
in the ranks who will receive an Oscar nomination

                             Not to mention, also, hunky Liev Schrieber as the Editor.  Hey, with so many hotgties in thos movie, is this a Cthoicic movie, or an investigative, gay one?????????   Maybe all three!!!!!!!!!!!
But some of these actors are as yummy as they are brilliant.  The only yummy I can think of missing who should be here is Linus Roache.  Why couldn't they have gotten him?????????





                     But, of course, the one who walks off with the film is my man, Stanley Tucci, here playing Mitchell Garabedian, an attorney.  Tucci subsumes himself in the character--he is the male Meryl Streep--and I would say, he, Slatterey, D'Arcy James, and possibly McAdams are all deserving of Oscar nominations.  As the picture, direction, and screenplay should.

                     I did not expect this film to impress me as much. Or to anger me, especially someone raised Catholic, when you think of what was being perpetrated upon innocent children by men we had been raised to think of being holy?   Which begs the question--what does that make the rest of us?  (Fortunately, I was spared this psychological trauma; no one priest ever approached me.)

                     Don't let the title fool you, girls, "Spotlight" is NOT about theater!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!