Doubt (2008)

Reviewed by Danny the Demented
Updated July 6 2012

Ever wonder what you should do when there's nothing good on at the theater? Go out and exercise? Enjoy nature? Pleeeeeeeease, being healthy is so 90's. Why go outside to be in the nature when one can just look at a painting of nature at the comfort of one's own home? People need to check themselves before they break themselves. And that's my gangster quota of the day. 

So if it isn't hip or rad to go out and be one with mother earth, what should we do for fun and giggles? FEAR NOT! From this week onwards The Ruey Review will solve that pickle for you by introducing our Awesome or Gruesome? Danny's Retro Reel Review Series ! A collection of movies that came out before 2012, movies you should either watch or burn when they are available for rent or purchase. That's right, watch or burn, with no middle-ground. I love hyperbole. 

We are kicking the series off with an "Awesome": "Doubt". So sit down and grab a bucket of chicken wings with a huge side serving of lard and a glass of beer. And enjoy the review, because it is amazing. 


"Doubt" is a film based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play named Doubt: A Parable. It's a story about two nuns, Aloysius (Meryl Streep) and James (Amy Adams), suspecting a priest Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of having inappropriate relationship with an African American boy Donald (Joseph Foster). Though without any evidence or witness, Sister Aloysius is determined to banish Father Flynn from the church , basing her belief solely on her doubt and transforming that into unrelenting certainty. Not even Donald's mother (Viola Davis) can shake her drive. It is a drama with unstoppable force, an emotional freight train that leaves you dumbfounded . A must see.

A fantastic movie through and through. John Patrick Shanley, who also wrote the award winning play, directed the film adaptation with flawless timing. The thing about film adaptations of stage plays is that they often lack a story with depth. To be sure, a play is limited by time and setting, thus plays are usually about a situation rather than a story with details and histories. When one adapts a play into a feature film, the materials at hand suffer the same limitation the play version do (see Closer and Carnage). Thus, without a rich back-story to build upon, plays-turned-films rely heavily on dialogues and performances, just like their play counterparts. Shanley managed to transformed his play onto the silver-screen without a hitch. Everything ran perfectly smooth and the back-and-forth between the two protagonists Aloysius and Flynn is delivered with such precision that it is easy to forget the film stands at a measly 104 mins. Quality over quantity? Yes please.   

What more is there to say about Meryl Streep? She is the actress equivalent of basketball's Michael Jordan. She is very very very good at her art and I demand her stop acting surprised every time she wins an award . Come on Streep, you know you are good, we all know, stop acting like you weren't prepared when they announce your name come envelope opening time, just stop it already. Amy Adams by now has built a fine career by playing the innocent looking sweet girl in either dramas or comedies. One can argue that a lot of her roles have similar characteristics but she is extremely efficient, almost masterful at playing the type. I sense she is well on her way to becoming the female version of Hugh Grant (Without the prostitute scandal of course. Dude you cheated on Elizabeth Hurley when she was at her hottest. What were you thinking?) with more versatility (she can occasionally play the tough girl, see The Fighter). Hoffman and Davis are reliable as usual. Two of the most underrated actors despite having been critically acclaimed and award winning for ages. Just a wonderful ensemble, a great company to be in. 

"Doubt can be a bond as powerful as certainty" , in the case of the movie, "Doubt" certainly leaves little doubt that it is a thrilling good time. And whenever you've made a feature that inspired a video game, you know you've created greatness. Awesome or Gruesome? This one Danny rates as AWESOME!. My name is Danny and I endorse this message.