Review of Doubt (2008) by Spangle — 10 Jun 2014

This one was definitely an actor's showcase. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Amy Adams, were all absolutely marvelous. It is hard to pick a standout, since they all stood out. The film is very successful in large part because of those actors, but not solely because of them.

The film is slow at times, but never boring, as it manages to keep you hooked all the way through as you attempt to figure out whether the allegations are true or not. One of the films major successes is how it sets up its characters.

All are very well developed in a short period of time and you feel like you begin to understand what is going on, but the film manages to keep the "Doubt" alive as the give little bits of information supporting both sides, allowing you to almost never truly figure out if the priest did as accused or not.

Really, you find yourself picking sides at times, only to have the film throw you back into questioning once you think you figured it out. Director John Patrick Shanley certainly directed this one very well and while the performances of the three leads stand tall, the script and direction done by him were right there with the acting.