Film Review: Doubt

"Doubt" *** 1\2 (out of ****)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!

Watching "Doubt" I was reminded of my years at Catholic elementary school. I attended a Catholic school for six years, grade k - five. In those days some of the teachers were sisters. Though the school was mildly starting to turn away from that. But all the students always hated to have the sisters as teachers. They were the most strict.

One year, in fourth grade, I got stuck with one of the sisters. She did not like me. She always wanted to use me as an example. She constantly wanted to try to get me in trouble with the principle, who was not a nun. It caused me great psychological and emotional trauma. I missed several days. To make a long story short, at the end of the year it was said the teacher had resigned. Secretly though some whispered, she had been forced out due to complaints. I was said to be one of the main reasons she was let go.

I tell you this useless information because Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep), in the opening moments of "Doubt" reminded me of that fourth grade teacher and most of the sisters who taught at my school. Sister Alysius is such a threatening presence that even the other, younger, sisters like Sister James (Amy Adams) are afraid and intimidated by her.

Walking into "Doubt" I was expecting one type of movie and got another. The trailer for this movie is incredibly misleading. The trailer, in my opinion, makes Sister Aloysius out to be a villain. A woman with a grudge. It seems she is plotting against the others at the school. The trailer was vague, which I appreciate, but it suggested a different type of movie. Whether or not Sister Aloysius is a villain or not is going to cause a bit of a debate. But, we'll get to that later.

"Doubt", which was written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, who wrote the Tony award winning play which the film is based on, sets this film in 1964 New York, the Bronx to be exact. The film starts off with a mass being conducted by the newest member of the church, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Today he will talk about doubt. He mentions President Kennedy had just been assassinated a year earlier and the doubt the entire country experienced. And how in that doubt a people came together. Doubt, he tells his congregation, can be a binding force.

Father Flynn, much like Sister James, is a different voice to the church. They are willing to adapt more to society's changing ways. They don't want to church to get left behind. Sister Aloysius doesn't feel the need to change. In one scene the three discuss a Christmas pageant to take place at the school. Father Flynn suggest perhaps they sing a secular song instead of religious hymns. Perhaps "Frosty the Snowman", which Sister Aloysius says is a song that promotes witchcraft. Better to sing "It's Beginning To Look A lot Like Christmas".

One of the major ways in which society and the school is changing is due to race. There is only one black student at the school, Donald Miller (Joseph Foster II). He is an alter-boy. Father Flynn takes a special interest in the child. He see him give the boy a gift. They smile at each other and exchange glances. But all is harmless, right?

One day, during Sister James' history class, Donald is called to see Father Flynn, without a third party present. Such things are forbidden. Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius cannot even be in the same room without a third party present. Sister James doesn't think much of the incident until the boy returns. He starts sobbing. She even says the smell of alcohol is on his breathe. Unsure what to do she confides in Sister Aloysius.

Without saying it, the suggestion of whether or not Father Flynn is molesting the boy is in the air. Given what we have been hearing in the headlines for the past couple of years, the idea is not far fetched. And judging by the film's screenplay, it wasn't even far fetched in 1964 either. The two sisters confront Father Flynn about Sister James' concerns. He refuses to talk about it and says he is disappointed in the way she has gone about this. But Sister Aloysius will not let the situation go. Father Flynn says the boy was caught bring alter wine and had to be dismissed as an alter boy. But Sister Aloysius doesn't believe it.

The film doesn't pry into Father Flynn's past. He is not shown as a corrupt man. But is he guilty? The viewer only knows as much as the Sisters in the film, which is almost nothing. But are we willing to believe?

Much of "Doubt" for one reason or another, didn't connect with me. I wasn't emotionally drawn into the story. The approach is too subtle for my taste. I wanted more confrontation. The actors, all of them great, aren't really allowed to let 'em rip.

The film has two powerful scenes. They are combative, confrontational scenes. Sister Aloysius calls Donald's mother (Viola Davis) for a visit to discuss her concerns. The mother seems unphased by the whole ordeal. She doesn't care if the Father is molesting her boy because she says it is only few a few months anyway. He'll graduate soon and be headed off to high school. Plus, she reveals, the boy is gay. This is unacceptable to Sister Aloysius. The boy's sexuality doesn't matter. The Father's actions are important. The question is, will she be able to have Father Flynn removed from the church?

The other powerful scene is the big showdown between Flynn and Aloysius. Here we get a lesson in acting. The two are unflinching. There is a level of intensity which almost makes the viewer think they are going to come to blows. Now we see why both of these people are great performers. And this scene will cause the most debate.

Two questions are raised in this scene. Is Sister Aloysius really a villain? And are the charges against Father Flynn true? I can only offer my interpretation, which is not fact. Sister Aloysius is not a villain. I believe her when she says she cares about the child and the church. I don't think she wants him to resign because of a power grudge between the two but because she finds his actions wrong.

As for Father Flynn. He seems guilty of the charges set forth. Their showdown has a moment when Aloysius tells Flynn she called the parish where he was in charge and one of the nuns said disturbing things about his behavior. He demands to know which nun said this and why didn't Aloysius speak to the head of the church instead of a nun. After their talk Father Flynn resigns. But does resign because he is guilty or because he just wants to move on? Is their doubt in anyone's mind?

This is the big conversation audiences are going to have after this movie. What was really going on here? The last scene in the film will only confuse you more and more.

The performances given here are all good. Streep hasn't really been in a movie worthy of her for awhile now. She was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in "The Devil Wears Prada", but, that was far from a great movie and a perfect example of Hollywood's stupidity to even nominate such a movie. In Robert Redford's "Lions for Lambs", which I was a big fan of, she isn't given much to do. Here in "Doubt" she is given a role in a movie which deserves her. I'm not sure if it is Oscar worthy but it is effective. Does she have to win an Oscar to make people think she was good?

Hoffman is effective too. Not as good as I thought he was in Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead", he gave my favorite performance of the year. And Amy Adams is always a delight to see on-screen. I loved her in a movie released earlier in the year called Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day". I thought she should have gotten nominated for "Best Supporting Actress", but, I fear people forgot about that movie and if she is nominated for anything it would be for this movie. But even here there is something about seeing her on-screen which brings a smile to my face.

I thought "Doubt" was going to be one of my favorite movies of the year. Sadly it is not. It has just been such a bad year for movies, that I've only seen a small handful of movies I've actually given four stars to. But in such a mindless, worthless year as 2008, "Doubt" is one of the better movies to see.