Review of Doubt (2008) by Zach B — 17 Feb 2012

There are few films I have seen more times then Doubt, and yet I still find myself rewatching this film with the same rapid attention, eager, and love a I did the first time. While revisiting these characters, I started to wonder why such a small film based on a small play was so riveting, so exciting, and so captivating that every time see that it is on I end up watching it? The reason is because the film's themes of trust and doubt effects us all.

Take, for instance, the opening monologue by Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman). In the five minutes that speech is given, the tone is set for the film as we are presented with blurred facts about this popular priest and if he is a pedophile. Then you have the ball busting, completely in control performance of Meryl Streep as she tries her hardest to prove Flynn guilty. Finally you have Amy Adams playing the character that we all are: confused, innocent of what is going on, and caught in an emotional, moral, and spritual battle over who is right and wrong.

Being written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, this is the only film he has made out of his four that still strikes a cord with audiences. He makes this film original, simple yet complex, and does not make the audience feel insulted. He on purpose does not give us all of the facts but left to us to figure out the truth. The best example of this is at the end when we see Streep and Hoffman duke it out in an office. Hearing them yell at each other, both of them being pushed to their limits, it is at this point that Shanley starts having us question Streep completely. Throughout the film, we only hear and see her perspective on everything. While this fight is playing out, we start to believe more and more that she is right. Then at the end, Shanley has Hoffman do something that makes us rethink everything.

But one performance that really stunned me, more so than any of the actors I have mentioned, is the short performance of Viola Davis. She plays this young boy's mother who embodies most inner city mothers in the sense that she forsakes all rationality for her child as long as her child has an education and a guardian. What stunned me was how much she did not care if his innocents was on the line, as long as this priest was their.

Then you have how relevant this film is to the world along with the psychological fear of outside influences of religion. This film is relevant to our world today due to the recent controversies with Vatican over child molestation, and this film not only treats the subject matter with stone cold seriousness, but also with respect and honor, knowing that if done wrong, this film could destroy everything that it represents. With psychological fear, you have to examine the character of Sister Aloysius (Streep). She is the type of person that wants everything to be like the traditional days of religion and America, where it was care free, no one was improper, and everything was old fashion. Aloysius is afraid of everything including Ball Point Pens being used in classrooms. This is worth mentioning because this is heavily counterattacked by Sister James (Adams) and Father Flynn. These two, when not fighting over allegations with molestation, are trying to tell Aloysius that it is okay to all things to change (as howled by Father Flynn to Aloysius: You are keeping this parish in the dark ages!).

To say that this film is a masterpiece would be an understatement. This is one of the most simple, yet complex films about the catholic religion I have seen that is not science fiction. This film touches so many different ideas and topics that it is difficult to explain. With the performances from the cast and the direction/ writing from John Patrick Shenley, Doubt is a no holds bar film that hits for the gut and keeps you hooked until the final shot where you are left with your own idea of what really happened. This is a marvelous film.