Doubt Movie Review

Many plays may find it hard to cross over to film because a stage production thrives off its characters more than visuals, which audiences can find “boring.”
“Doubt” a pulitzer-award winning production, does not have this problem.
The film’s incredible ensemble cast of Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman make the film an edge-of-your-seat thriller without firing a single gun or involving themselves with any sort of government espionage.
A charismatic priest, Father Flynn (Hoffman), is trying to upend a Catholic schools’ strict customs in 1964, which have long been guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Streep), the iron-gloved principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline.
The school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller, but when Sister James (Adams), a wide-eyed nun, shares with Aloysius her suspicion Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Miller, Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to remove Flynn from the school and the priesthood.
As a play adapted for the screen, most of the film takes place on a small number of sets, including a classroom and Aloysius’ office. The film relys entirely on the cast’s ability to draw the audience into the conflict, making them doubt what is truth and what is gossip.
It goes without saying Streep, Adams and Hoffman are gifted actors. Adams an Acadamey-Award nominee, Streep a two-time winner and Hoffman a Best Actor winner are all on their A-game for the film and will all likely see another nomination come from the film.
Streep immediately commands respect from the audience when she first appears on screen as the evil Aloyisius.
Adams immediately gives the audience a feeling of trust and warmth and Hoffman immediately gives off an air of doubt and suspicion as to his true nature.
The climactic scene in the film involves Streep and Hoffman engaged in a battle of the wills in her office. Both strong characters and strong actors, the scene grabs the audience by the collar and yanks them toward the screen, anxiously awaiting to see which side will give in to the other.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” has its work cut out for it in the awards season facing these acting giants and the script, could rob “Button” of the Best Adapted Screenplay award.
Another awards contender is Viola Davis as Miller’s mother. Davis only shares 12 minutes of screen time, but her powerful performance puts her in the running for the award season as well.
I don’t see her beating Adams, however, who is pitch-perfect in her niche role as a naive sweetheart who wants only to believe in the good in people. Most of the film is just wanting to hug her, but at moments it seems more appropriate to shake her for being so naive.
There are many films which have great acting, but an average plot, which makes the experience less enjoyable for the audience. “Doubt” is both intriguing and exciting and the acting propels it to being one of the greatest films this year.

Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams
Rated PG-13 for thematic material and language.

Rating: Three and one half stars