Home > The M.O. > Archives > 2009 > January > 07 > Entry
‘Doubt’: Streep and Hoffman at their heavyweight bests
When I heard that Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep were going to be playing the leads in John Patrick Shanley’s film adaptation of his Broadway super-hit “Doubt,” I was over the moon. What lover of acting would not freak over the idea of (arguably) the greatest actor of her generation going toe-to-toe with (arguably) the greatest actor of his? But then I read a couple of lukewarm reviews, including one from The New Yorker’s Anthony Lane, with whom I usually agree, and decided maybe I should skip it. Thank God for slow Tuesday nights, skepticism and award screeners.
I watched “Doubt” at home last night and was simply blown away by the acting. Streep and Hoffman are Ali and Frazier, raging war (here spoken and unspoken) in several scenes that leave you emotionally confused and battered. I was torn between being knocked into the back of the couch and drawn to its edge.
“Doubt” tells the story of a Catholic school in the Bronx that is having a crisis of leadership, with Streep’s Sister Aloysius playing the rigid taskmaster principal and Hoffman’s Father Flynn playing the warm-hearted, affable and avuncular leader of the parish. Aloysius is riddled with paranoia and driven by a self-assuredness that lead her to command her fellow nuns to monitor carefully the goings-on at her school. Duty-bound and gun-shy but eager, the young Sister James (the amazing Amy Adams) concocts a story, by way of very loose circumstantial evidence, that Father Flynn has acted inappropriately with a young altar boy, coincidentally the only black youth in the school.
What ensues in the cat-and-mouse game between Flynn and Aloysius is a meditation on the conflicting ideas of staunch moral certitude and doubt, as outlined wonderfully in Flynn’s opening sermon.
The movie is unadorned and feels as if it was adapted from a staged play, which generally works with this material, especially considering the tight confines of the school serving as the perfect boiling pot. Streep’s Queens accent is a bit much early and almost tends to the caricature, but her nuance, especially in her eyes, retrieve the character from that misfortune.
Despite my love for Hoffman, his characters are often unlikable sorts, living conflicted and often self-hating lives, so it is compelling and ironic that his Flynn, a character accused of the heinous crime of child molestation, is one of the most likable in his career. In addition to the lead roles, and Adams tortured and eager character, there is Viola Davis, who, in one scene with Streep, gets at the heart(breaking) core of the film. There is no point in me describing it here, it simply needs to be watched and felt to be appreciated.
The ambiguity of the characters’ moral dilemmas and the film’s ending, especially considering the context, will leave you breathless. And while “Doubt” may not be 2008’s best movie — the cinematography and direction are uninspired, and artistic attempts at camera angles in a few scenes feel forced — there was not a movie I’ve seen in the past year (at least) that features better acting in multiple roles.
Get showtimes for “Doubt” in Austin here.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Movies
Comments
Austinites love to be heard, and we're giving you a bullhorn. We just ask that you keep things civil. Leave out the personal attacks. Do not use profanity, ethnic or racial slurs, or take shots at anyone's sexual orientation or religion. If you can't be nice, we reserve the right to remove your material and ban users who violate our Visitor's agreement. Click here to report comment abuse.