It’s surprising that a movie set mostly in a catholic school would be full of tension. But, that is exactly what Doubt delivers. What I though would be a boring movie, turning out to be probably one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. Doubt comes as a welcomed surprise since the last three movie I‘ve seen, Twilight, Elegy & Seven Pound, have been a real disappointment. I was about to give up on movies, until Doubt restored my faith in them again.
In Doubt, Father Brendan Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a priest who Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep) suspects is having an improper relationship with the school’s first black student Donald Miller (Joseph Foster). Sister Aloysius first comes to suspect Father Flynn after witnessing an incident between Father Flynn and another student. Sister Aloysius tells her teachers to raise there awareness level to any suspicious behavior. A few days later Sister James (Amy Adams) tells Sister Aloysius that Father Flynn called Donald to the rectory and that he returned with the smell of alcohol on his breath. Armed with this, Sister Aloysius is out to get Father Flynn kicked out of the church while Father Flynn claims there are other explanation for what Sister James has witness.
The best thing about Doubt are the performance and with power houses like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep how can this not be true. Meryl Streep steals every scene she is in with her hard as nails no nonsense nun who the students respect and fear. Philip Seymour Hoffman is more subtle here; he plays Father Flynn with confident and as a modern day priest who is not tied down to the old traditions of the church.
Father Flynn is like one the guys and enjoys playing basketball, indulging in sugar and smoking cigarettes. Sister Aloysius has it out for him for his non-traditional ways. The climax of the movie has Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius fighting it out for the true, and while the viewer is never out right told what exactly happened, there is enough in here for the viewer to decide.
Review By Brad Peterson
Release Date: April 7, 2009
