Oct. 29--Unless something even better comes along before Dec. 31, this may be the American film of the year--thrillingly good, in its patient, savvy way, and a reminder that journalism still matters in the age of click-whoredom and a crumpling media landscape. Director and co-writer (with Josh Singer) Tom McCarthy's procedural stars Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Shreiber and Brian d'Arcy James in the story of the early 21st Century Boston Globe investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese's longtime cover-up of sexual abuse among its clergy. Not since "All the President's Men" 39 years ago has a newspaper movie so openly embraced a good-news (i.e., bad news covered beautifully) news story. In many ways, "Spotlight" is the better fictional film about a factual bombshell that, yes, sold a lot of papers. "Spotlight" opens Nov. 13, but tonight it closes the 51st Chicago film festival on a very high note indeed.
7 p.m. Thursday, AMC River East, 322 E. Illinois St. Tickets $25 at chicagofilmfestival.com. Running time: 2:08.
-Michael Phillips
