John Patrick Shanley directs "Doubt". The plot? A Catholic nun accuses a priest of abusing a child. She has no evidence, but trusts her instincts. He did it. Others disagree, but she insists. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing. A scheming, self-serving man who sings sermons of tolerance, love and the dangers of gossip only as a smokescreen for his own wicked ways. She will catch him, and her brand of militant Christianity will cast him away!
The priest, of course, denies ever committing abuse. He insists that the nun is deeply misguided. She, he believes, is an authoritarian figure who has turned Christianity into a religion of fear, suspicion and intolerance. She, he insists, is on a quest to expunge symbols of tolerance and "progressivism" from the Church.
What follows is an epic battle of truth, doubt, denial and suspicion, but more importantly, a battle between two heavy weight acting legends. Meryl Streep plays the nun and Philip Seymour Hoffman the priest, and when the duo square off in a single room towards the film's climax, its hard not to grin. They spout dialogue like arrows, trade gazes like cannon fire, both actors showing shades of vulnerability, weakness, strength and righteousness. Who do we trust? Who do we side with? Who is right? Who is wrong? That the film keeps us enthralled and guessing so long is a testament to a tight script and some brilliant performances by both Streep and Hoffman.
8/10 – An excellent drama, marred only by an overly tidy ending. Makes a good companion piece to "The Magdalene Sisters" and "Black Narcissus".
The priest, of course, denies ever committing abuse. He insists that the nun is deeply misguided. She, he believes, is an authoritarian figure who has turned Christianity into a religion of fear, suspicion and intolerance. She, he insists, is on a quest to expunge symbols of tolerance and "progressivism" from the Church.
What follows is an epic battle of truth, doubt, denial and suspicion, but more importantly, a battle between two heavy weight acting legends. Meryl Streep plays the nun and Philip Seymour Hoffman the priest, and when the duo square off in a single room towards the film's climax, its hard not to grin. They spout dialogue like arrows, trade gazes like cannon fire, both actors showing shades of vulnerability, weakness, strength and righteousness. Who do we trust? Who do we side with? Who is right? Who is wrong? That the film keeps us enthralled and guessing so long is a testament to a tight script and some brilliant performances by both Streep and Hoffman.
8/10 – An excellent drama, marred only by an overly tidy ending. Makes a good companion piece to "The Magdalene Sisters" and "Black Narcissus".