AMB Reviews

Doubt: 9.5/10 Stars

Release Date: December 12, 2008

Content Advisory: Rated PG-13 for thematic material. The whole plot revolves around the assumption may or may not have molested a child. However, the whole topic is kept extremely vague, and the word is not even mentioned once.

Review:

When I first saw the trailer for Doubt, I didn't even give it a second thought. It seemed interesting, but it never crossed my mind that I might actually want to see it. That changed after viewing its trailer several more times, and deciding that maybe, the film will be worth it... 

In Short: 

Doubt tells the story of two nuns (played wonderfully by Meryl Streep and Amy Adams) who accuse of one of the priests (also played brilliantly by Philip Seymour Hoffman) of sharing an inappropriate relationship with a boy named Donald Miller. Get where I'm going? Fortunately, this disturbing theme, though brought up many times throughout, is kept very vague, and the word "molest" is not even used once. That being said, despite the terrific performances from the whole cast, including the minor role of Viola Davis as Mrs. Miller, Doubt retains a steady pace, a great script, and offers tons of questions to think about. 

In Full:

Life back in the olden days wasn't easy. And it was even harder for African Americans. This is shown in Doubt, when Donald Miller, the only African American student a Catholic school is teased and bullied. The only one who shows some sort of compassion for the poor boy is one of the priests, known as Father Flynn. But could his compassion and love be a bit too deep? This topic is dealt with when Father Flynn calls Donald from Sister James' classroom to the rectory alone. After finding traces of alcohol on his breath and watching Father Flynn stick an undershirt in Donald's office, Sister James takes her suspicions to Sister Aloysius, and together, the two of them work together to figure out what really went on in the rectory and what Father Flynn is really up to.

The film ultimately retains a great pace, and never once lost my interest. This one is most definitely for the younger ones though. Though nothing is objectionable content wise, this film would bore the littler ones right out their minds. Most plays are made for the stage and not the big screen, because they're more about words and ideas rather than big-bang action. This is shown in Doubt, which is mostly all talk. It's fine for the older ones, but it's not for the kids. 

As I've already mentioned before, the acting was some of the best acting I've seen in a while. Meryl Streep retains the austere, bleak, and grumpy Sister Aloysius with such brilliance, it seemed almost unreal. Does this mean an Academy for Mrs. Streep? It should. A nomination at the least. Leading the supporting cast, we have Amy Adams as Sister James, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Father Flynn, and Viola Davis as Mrs. Miller. Amy Adams wonderfully portrays the innocent and confused nun struggling between different sides, while Hoffman plays Father Flynn exactly as he should... never giving away or revealing too much. He always seems like he's hiding something, and in this case, it's a good thing. Viola Davis, who, although isn't given much to work with, does amazingly well with what she is given and in the end, gives an incredible performance, as does everybody else. 

This being a film that takes place almost completely in a Catholic School, you can't expect too many impressive visuals. This is no action film. This is a pure drama. A talky and thought-provoking drama, that dives into some pretty deep issues. It will only reach a selective audience. Those looking for a laid back film with maybe some nice visuals, should not look here. This movie's title says it all: Doubt. This movie leaves you with tons of questions to ponder about. It leaves you to question your faith, religion, politics, the difference between right and wrong, redemption, and forgiveness before turning around and walking away. But, according to this film's director... that is specifically its mission: to leave you with questions to think about, without providing any answers. That is the point of this film. Do NOT expect all of the loose ends to be tied up by the end. 

In the end, Doubt's director, John Patrick Stanley, had this to say: "Let me put it to you this way?you never know what's going on in somebody else's head. You never know what's going on in somebody else's heart. A lot of time is spent coming up with a conclusion in this story, but it's like life, you don't get to know for sure what really happened. You don't get to know for certain." And he's right. Doubt is a realistic, thought-provoking, and truly brilliant film. It is most certainly not for the younger audience, but it most certainly is for those brave enough to sit through a talky film that leaves you with tons of questions just longing to be answered. Does Doubt answer any of those questions? No. But for those of you still deciding whether or not to watch this film, that is one question I can answer almost ironically: Stop doubting and book your tickets to the next showing.