To Doubt Is Human
for Doubt

"Doubt can be a bond as strong as fear." If ever there was a time in our country's recent history where that line carried the force of relevance, it's now.

And though it's set in the early 1960s (roughly a year after the Kennedy assassination), there's no doubt that John Patrick Shanley's adaptation of his own Pulitzer-Prize winning stage play is a response to these dark times, when the only thing that seems to be uniting Americans is their collective insecurity and ever-weakening belief that things are going to get better.

At the center of "Doubt" is the mystery of whether or not a priest (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman) is guilty of taking advantage of an altar boy. The priest's primary (and really sole) prosecutor is Sister Aloysius, the uber-stern and terrifying principal of the Catholic school that provides "Doubt" its setting. Watching Hoffman and Streep spar is like watching two professional tennis players at their best, and fans of expert movie acting should waste no time in seeing the sparks fly between these two. The movie purposely never clarifies the ambiguity of the charges -- is Hoffman's priest truly guilty of something, or is Sister Aloysius simply on a mad witch hunt? Streep's character is the most fascinating. From one perspective, she's a nearly maniacal harpie, intent on ruining a man's life and career for no clear reason. However, if her accusations are legitimate, she's a sort of hero, demanding justice from a male-dominated world that's willing to look the other way. Streep's performance is something fascinating to behold -- she can convey more with an arched eyebrow than another actor can with his entire face.

Amy Adams gets the pivotal role of a young, innocent nun who first brings her suspicions about the priest to her superior, and then sees them become Frankenstein's monster. In many ways, Adams' character is us, the audience, placed in the position of having to come to a conclusion on our own when empirical evidence is lacking. Adams' role is the least showy, but she does much with it.

And then there's Viola Davis, who, in five minutes of screen time, decimates the audience with some shocking conclusions of her own as the altar boy's mother. The insulated, hushed world of the Catholic Church is blown wide open by this struggling mother, who's seen more of the world than any of the priests and nuns sheltered behind the church's walls, and who puts the film's running themes of racial and gender inequality into harsh perspective.

The central conflict in "Doubt" in many ways comes down to each individual's view of the world and his or her ability to accept the ambiguity of day to day living. There's a lot about the world we will never know and much about our futures we'll never be able to control. So what's better -- anticipating the worst and therefore being prepared when it comes; or believing in the best and running the risk of being disappointed when it fails to arise? The movie just poses this question -- it doesn't try to answer it.

"Doubt" is not a fancy movie and will win no awards for its cinematic audacity. But in looking back at the movies of 2008, I imagine it will stand as one of the best-acted films of the year.

80Very good
Watching it again

I don't understand the poor reviews from the know if all critics. This is actually a very enjoyable and funny comedy. It's pulled off by the two stars who are both hilarious.

If you haven't seen it and like goofy romantic comedies, watch it!

70Good
Solid movie except for Redford
for Truth

This movie is entertaining and well executed except for the major mishap in casting Robert Redford... Robert Redford playing Robert Redford, that's basically every movie he's ever played in the last two decades. He clearly does not have what it takes to play a public figure like Dan Rather. Ughhh.

70Good
The adaptation that Alcott would have liked best

This is the best screen adaptation of Little Women that I've ever seen, and I've seen every one (both film and TV - single episode and series) made in English, even horridly "modernized" versions.

I read Little Women for the first time when I was 9 years old. I reread it at least once a year for the next 10 years and every few years for the next couple of decades. I modelled my behaviour and attitudes on the March girls the way they modelled their behaviour on Pilgrims Progress (an element of the book thankfully left out of this adaptation). To my mind, this film adaptation is truer to the spirit of this book, while channeling ideas from other Alcott favourites of mine (An Old Fashioned Girl and Rose in Bloom) and from Alcott's own life. My favourite moment of the film comes near the very end, a scene between Jo and her publisher, that does not come from the books, but represents Alcott life and intent faithfully.

And oh yes, the soundtrack is exquisite.

100Superb
Classic Nolan but not his best
for Tenet

I feel the film was mostly let down by John Washington. He's out of his depth for a Nolan film & the other outstanding actors he usually goes with.

70Good
Decent
for Crisis

I felt like writing a review due to the fact I find it almost Blasphemy to have Rachel Rodriguez & Gary Oldman in the same film. How Rodriguez continues to be cast in movies despite her terrible acting is truly astonishing. For that matter I find Armie Hammer a poor casting decision as well.

The film is overall entertaining and has a solid storyline, but certainly forgettable.

60Fair