The film shows us an aged, slightly senile Joe Paterno (Al Pacino) having a flashback which includes a subplot involving Harrisburg reporter Sara Ganim (Riley Keough). The story centers around the scandal that ended his career and statue. Paterno is not shown as bad as "The Iron Lady" but it was not flattering. Sara Ganim is shown as a small town reporter, not ready for prime time, when it comes to style.

I found the film interesting, even though we know the ending, just hoping things might change.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Barry Levinson's Paterno wants the viewer to know that this legendary college football coach, Penn State University and its football team supporters cared more about its football program than the fate of some of the young people sexualy abused by an assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky.

The film opaquely hints as to how much Paterno might had known as to the abuse taking place and like other people just turned a blind eye.

After a wonderful expansive opening where Paterno as head coach takes the team to a record breaking streak. This HBO film settles down as a Shakespearean tragedy, almost like a stage play.

Al Pacino's Paterno is a man out of his time. Confused, weak and sick. He is an octogenarian who knows all about college football but has no way to handle the mess he finds himself in.

The film contrasts Paterno's fate with that of local newspaper reporter Sara Ganim (Riley Keough) who doggedly pursued the story of the child abuse and who earned the trust of the families.

However the flip flopping between the two story strands feels like a distraction. Levinson's approach comes across as mild, even anodyne lacking the moral outrage of a movie like Spotlight.

Joe Paterno was one of the most beloved coaches in the history of football, leading the Penn State Nittany Lions to an unprecedented number of wins. That was, until November 2011, when it came out that assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was raping children, and that Paterno was helping cover it up.

Barry Levinson's "Paterno" casts Al Pacino as the embattled coach (the third consecutive time that Levinson gave Pacino the role of a famous bad person, after casting him as Jack Kevorkian and Phil Spector). In addition to showing Paterno's disregard for the children, the movie shows the almost cultlike attitude that the college's students had towards the coach. The ever present dilemma of having a hero.

I recommend the movie. Top-notch acting (in addition to Pacino, there's also Kathy Baker, Riley Keough, and others), as well as directing and editing. To be certain, the movie came out at the perfect time, with the fall from grace of numerous celebrities who got MeToo'd. Definitely see it.