DVD
REVIEW: DOUBT
04/02/09
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
brad@smartcine.com
VIDEO:
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
AUDIO:
English 5.1 ,
French(Dolby Surround)
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
SPECIAL FEATURES:
From Stage to Screen - John Patrick Shanley
(Playwright/Screenwriter/Director) discuses how he took
doubt from the stage to the screen (19:09)
The Cast of Doubt - Dave Karger of Entertainment
Weekly interviews the cast of Doubt. (13:53)
Scoring Doubt - Shows the process of how Doubt
was scored (4:39)
The Sisters of Charity - John Patrick Shanley
(Playwright/Screenwriter/Director) discusses how he filmed a
two hour tape with real nuns discussing their experience to
help the actors. (6:29)
RATING BREAK DOWN:
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