Doubt

Nathyn

Nathyn

Low Budget Ninja
That movie keeps you on the edge of your seat and once it gets going you can't get off the ride. And OMG, I'm not sure but I think I just fell in love with Meryl Streep. Freakin' incredible performances all around.

-Nate
 
Yes, "Doubt" is truly an "actor's movie". The confrontation climax between Streep and Hoffman is a classic scene for the ages.
 
The scene between Meryl Streep and Viola Davis is one of the best written and acted scenes I've ever seen.
 
When Kate Winslett got the best actress Oscar for The Reader .. she acknowledged Streeps Doubt performance from the stage by saying .. 'suck it up Meryl'

I thought it was a rude comment at the time but it wasn't.

The extras on the Doubt DVD certainly make it worth renting out or even buying. Shut the pix off to focus on the delivery and ranges of their voices .. beautiful works of the actors art.
Cheers.
 
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SPZ said:
Yes, "Doubt" is truly an "actor's movie". The confrontation climax between Streep and Hoffman is a classic scene for the ages.
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I was like "Damn, she broke her foot off in that @$$!" almost everytime she was on screen. LOL. But at the same time I did feel sorry for Fr. Flynn because we really didn't know that he'd done anything, but her little trick does make it seem like something went on somewhere with someone, but was it something between him and a nun or did he have some kind of past issue. Frankly if he and a nun had some kind of fling, it wouldn't be right but frankly I don't think I would kick him out the church, but if he's messing with kids I'm like call the cops and throw his @$$ out on the street immediately.

Herein lies the beauty: We don't know. Obviously he has a past (which we don't figure out until the end), but we don't know what it was. I love Streep's character's unrelenting search for what she believes to be the truth (which it wasn't much of a search at all as much as it was a total emotion beatdown of Fr. Flynn based on her own belief). And she's suspicious of him from the start based on his sermon. But what's also cool was that Hoffman's character had a bit of an edge to him and did stand up to her until that final confrontation. He just couldn't take it. And I loved when Amy Adams finally stood up to Sr. Beauvier too and then at the end we're left with just the two of them and some brutal honesty.

As for Fr. Flynn, I'm thinking something was up, because if it were me, I would've stayed until she got either some evidence of wrong doing (which, as a good priest there would've been none) or until she broke me or I broke her, which would've been a good long while for myself or that character. And why is this guy poppin' from parish to parish? What's that about?

As for Sr. Beauvier's breakdown in the end, I don't know. I can see it, but I would've liked them to go into that more. Maybe it was doubt about God, or about the situation, or about all of it. But I would've liked more about that. But to go that long at that with kind of tenseness and heightened sense of urgency, I was screaming at the TV every few minutes and at times I cheered both of these characters. I loved how Streep's character did her little tricks, like with the picture of the Pope and how she ran the school like a dictatorship, but deep down inside she did care, otherwise we'd have no film. She could've easily not gotten involved. What about how she looked after the nun that was going blind. She had compassion. She was just good at masking it.

And what about Viola Davis as Mrs. Miller? Was the implication that the boy was gay? Was she willing to allow her child to be sexually abused so he could have a better chance in the academic and business world. This is very powerful and something that would be unheard of today. But in her view molestation would be better than constant beatings at home and if it gave her son a better chance to go to college then it was worth it. Mrs. Miller's feelings were shocking, but considering the time period there's a lot that went on that people just didn't talk about. Consider the scene in "Forrest Gump" where his mother prostitutes herself so Forrest could get into what she saw as a good school.

I used to go to Catholic school and I know those nuns that everyone feared (we had two LOL), but at the same time everyone loved. The stories of being afraid of them are actually considered good memories in a comical way, I have my issues with The Church but in my mind, the priest and nuns I knew were good people. And I love this flick. Streep and Hoffman friggin' rocked it!

-Nate
 
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Nathyn said:
And what about Viola Davis as Mrs. Miller? Was the implication that the boy was gay? Was she willing to allow her child to be sexually abused so he could have a better chance in the academic and business world. This is very powerful and something that would be unheard of today. But in her view molestation would be better than constant beatings at home and if it gave her son a better chance to go to college then it was worth it.
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This was no implication, I though it was pretty clearly the case. Although I read even more into it. She knew her son was gay and that his father hated him for it, but she figured if the boy at least had another father figure in his life he could relate to, perhaps he wouldn't feel so mixed up.
 
That's how it came off to me too. I was like whoa, that's completely messed up.

-Nate
 
Meryl was quite impressive in this role. But, I watched it a second time and I found PSH to be perhaps even more noteworthy! He fully captured and embraced the comfort of being who his character was. Very disturbing.

All around a very solid movie - and I typically don't get into the "actor's showcase" films, but this one had a great pace to it.
 
My thing with Streep is how the heck to you crank things up to that level then keep it there for almost the whole film. I mean her energy and power comes through almost every second she's on the screen. I mean I was drained after the film and I was just watching it, so you know what starring in it had to be like.

-Nate
 
Yeah that's a special thing that only a few have. I wonder what she's like to live with .. I mean washing and ironing and stuff .. or would I have to do it.

Cheers.
 
They were both absolutely brilliant in this film. Amy Adams did a fine job as well. And yes, the scene with Viola Davis is quite powerful.

I've been a huge fan of Hoffman since I first saw him in Boogie Nights. Looking at any of his movies, especially where he's not a major character, (e.g. Boogie Nights, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Charlie Wilson's War), you absolutely believe every second of the character he plays.

What a brilliant, brilliant actor.
 
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