Movie: Doubt
Like/Don't Like: Very interesting.
I wish I hadn't returned this movie so quickly. Having had some time to think about it I would have liked to watch it again, preferably with friends so that we could talk about it later because it's one of those movies that needs talking about.
It's set in the early 1960s at a Catholic school that has admitted its first black student. He is taken under the wing of the priest and their relationship causes some suspicion on the parts of two nuns - one who wants to believe he is innocent of anything inappropriate and one determined to prove his guilt.
The fascinating part of the story is that we never learn what actually happened. The priest's guilt or innocence is never proven but throughout the movie we gets new bits of information that can change your whole perception of it. And that's what I want to talk to people about. Did you think he was guilty from the beginning or not? What changed your mind? Did it change at all?
The acting was great - naturally, it's Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Amy Adams held her own too, but I'd like to see her do something other than doe-eyed innocence. I would love to see this on stage, where it originated. The film did a good job of translating it but it's a lot of talking and there were a few moments when I felt like the action going on around the dialogue was out of place. But over all, a very intriguing film. Invite me over to watch it with you and we can discuss. I'll bring cookies.
