Doubt
Dark themes abound in this psychological period piece, adapted from John Patrick Shanley’s Tony Award-winning play of the same name. The seemingly simple plot becomes increasingly twisted as we follow the exploits of a coarse, puritanical schoolmistress, Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep), as she attempts to uncover the truth behind the inappropriately close relationship that her superior, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), has developed with the school’s first black student.
Though the Oscar buzz surrounding this ecclesiastical drama might seem a little over the top (considering four of the film’s actors are being recognised by the Academy for their efforts), the intensity shared between Hoffman and Streep is certainly reason enough for their best actor/actress nominations.
It is the war of words between the paragon of virtue, Sister Aloysius, and the manipulative suspected child-molester that constitutes the film’s core. Thanks to the brilliant performances from these two leads and some particularly clever writing, the debate never loses its edge. Flynn manages to be a disturbingly likeable character despite being such an obvious manipulator, and the ambiguity of his speech and actions constantly undermines his opponent’s arguments.
One also has to ask if Aloysius’s motives for her pursuit are pure and not simply contrived because of her jealousy of Flynn’s popularity in their church-going community. Shanley manages to keep his audience riveted with his subtle take on a subject that could easily have descended into melodrama. — Shain Germaner