Doubt
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Movie Reviews of Doubt
Movie Review: Raised as a Catholic in the 60s and 70s? Then Shanley's brilliant film will resonate deeply
Summary: 5 Stars
In various 'professional' reviews of John Patrick Shanley's adaptation of his own hit play, I've read things like "Philip Seymour Hoffman goes toe to toe with Meryl Streep"..and "Amy Adams holds her own against Meryl Streep"..and "despite only being on the screen for 12 minutes, Viola Davis hangs with Meryl Streep." Hmmmm [scratches chin]...what do these reactions all have in common? Only that Meryl Streep is the measuring stick against whom all others are to be judged. I guess it's passe to say directly that Meryl Streep is extraordinary. Instead, everyone now puts her co-stars on some type of Streep-o-meter. Needless to say, the best performance in a Meryl Streep movie is...Meryl Streep. That's taken for granted some times.
The movie itself is pure dynamite. As someone who was raised as a Catholic in the 60s and attended a Catholic high school in the 70s, this movie resonated deeply with me. One scene that stuck out: Shanley's juxtaposition of the prim, cloistered convent with its almost mute nuns, followed immediately by nothing less than the raucous cacophony of the rectory with its hard-drinking, garrulous priests. This scene was pure genius and no doubt left many of my fellow Catholics of a certain age thrilled with such a realistic portrayal. I raved to my wife after the film about absolute truth of that passage.
Philip Seymour Hoffman nails his role here. His character is believable as a mentor to the boys - the scene where he helps them shoot foul shots and answers some of their questions shows that mentoring side. But Shanley's script is subtle and telling here, too, because we also get some of the character's quirkiness. Hoffman shows the boys his clean nails and says "I like to keep them a little long." Just enough to make you start thinking...
Movie Review: A Talented Cast Brings To Life This Powerful Drama
Summary: 5 Stars
Doubt, based on the Tony award winning play, is perhaps the most well acted film of the year, with four of its stars being nominated for Oscar's and a screenplay that blurs the line between who is right and who is wrong.
Sister Aloysius is the strict, hard nosed principle of the local Catholic school who finds herself in the midst of a personal battle between one of the priest, Father Flynn, who may or may not be abusing one of the altar boys. With the help of a fellow nun, the two of them investigate to uncover the truth and bring justice to light.
As mentioned before, this film is superbly acted. Meryl Streep, already a legend, earned her fifteenth nomination for her role, who balances wit, steely demure, and when she let loose in some of the confrontations, its a very powerful thing to watch. Phillip Seymore Hoffman imbues Father Flynn with so much warm and kindness it most certainlty instills doubt in the viewer if he truly is capable of such a horrible act. Amy Adams acts as the mediator between the two, always holding her own against the two experience actors. And finally Viola Davis, who joins the select few actors to make the most out of a limited role.
The film is very shady about the details about the crime and never gives any explicit details. This causes you to wonder, did Father Flynn do it? Is Sister Aloysius wrong? As the film goes on, you get little snip its of details that one moment will say the two nuns are right and then the next putting that questioning feeling in you and by the end of the film (spoiler alert! do not read on if you have not seen the film!) you are left to wonder, did Father Flynn really do it? or was it all just an overblown lie?
This is a must see film for anyone who has followed the award season.
Movie Review: culture clash made vivid by insinuation, fear, and career
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a very interesting story about the conflict between a tradition-bound disciplinarian, Streep, and a progressive priest played brilliantly by Hoffman. Though it takes place in 1964, the 60s upheavals are really only beginning. Streep wants to keep things simple and controlled, Hoffman to open the church to new ideas. While Streep is more overtly political in the way she enlists a young nun, the wonderful Amy Adams, Hoffman is also proven extremely adept at these kinds of career maneuvering.
The pawn in the story is a solitary young black boy, the first admitted to the Bronx catholic school. He is deeply troubled from an abusive household, yet full of potential; his mother is on his side and hoping to advance his education with the desperation of a person who know she has only one shot. As we all know from recent allegations, the church did not deal well with the proclivities of some of its employees. As Hoffman has lavished attention on the black boy, he becomes suspect in this regard. The young nun is caught in between.
Now, on the surface, it is easy to label the characters. Streep is vicious, resentful, and seeking power as she looks back; Hoffman is a good man, a victim, a visionary who looks forward. But of course, things may not be that simple. Streep may be onto something. Hoffman may not be all that he appears. To the great credit of the playwrite, this is never definitively resolved, but left to the viewer to reason it out. The result is an utterly rivetting drama that can be interpreted in many different ways. I think that there is truth to everyone's point of view in the film.
Recommended. The film is a window into a world, a time, and a terrible human dilemma. The acting is absolutely first rate.
Movie Review: "There are people who will go after your humanity..."
Summary: 5 Stars
Did he or didn't he?
When Father Flynn (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) takes an interest in the only Black boy in school, Donald Miller (Joseph Foster) the Principal Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) makes accusations of impropriety.
The Father has an explanation. Donald, an altar boy, was caught drinking sacramental wine. The kid's troubled, his father beats him, and he needs help. Sister Aloysius doesn't buy it--well, in truth, she doesn't seem capable of giving any kind of warm fuzzy support to her students or her staff.
"Leave my son out of this. My husband will kill my son over one thing like this..." his mother (Viola Davis) begs. She wants her son in Catholic School until June so he can get into a good high school and she's not questioning the motives of someone who's been kind to her son when so few others have been. You see, Mrs. Miller believes her son is 'different' and that's the nature God gave him.
Sister James (Amy Adams), a new nun, doesn't believe Father Flynn did anything wrong. She can't sleep after the accusations.
"Doubt" is a powerful drama about human nature and tolerance. Father Flynn is not the kind of Catholic Sister Aloysius is--his fingernails are too long, he drinks three sugars in his tea, he wants secular music in the Christmas pageant, and he's openly affectionate to the students...Does that make him inappropriate or wrong? So--did Father Flynn take liberties with Donald or didn't he? Watch the film. Decide for yourself. Perhaps you will have doubts....
Rebecca Kyle, April 2009
Movie Review: Faith versus proof
Summary: 5 Stars
Religion is built on faith. By definition, it must be, for it cannot prove its claims and most of what we know about science refutes most of what's said by religion.
It is using faith that Sister Alloyicious (Meryl Streep), bases her entire case against a charasmatic new priest (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). He's the embodiment of Vatican 2, and she's... well, probably Mel Gibson's grandmother.
The priest is doing things like giving sermons in English, that talk about peace, compassion and tolerace. He's taking sugar in his tea. He's even using a ballpoint pen! His ideas and his way of doing things are vastly different from those of the good Sister, so she's willing to believe, on the slightest, flimsiest theory, that the priest is molesting one of the boys in his care.
It's fascinating to watch as she builds up this case in her own mind, eager to believe it is true. She talks with the priest, with the boy's mother (who is, btw, one of the most pragmatic characters I've ever seen on screen), with another nun, with just about everyone, and though everyone defends the priest against her, she refuses to listen, cause she has certainty. She has faith. She has no doubt.
The character studies here are fascinating, as are the contrasts in this very important time of the Church's life, as is the rush to judgement and the power of rumor. Merely by raising the suspicion in people's minds that this priest may be molesting a child, she makes it real, no matter if it is or isn't.
This is a very good movie and one I'd highly recommend. See what can happen when faith takes the place of rational thought.