Doubt Reviews

Doubt is a complex character study on 3 of the major characters. The beauty behind this film is the viewer can have a uniquely different reflection and interpretation of what really happened.

There’s a sort of creepiness that I get whenever I’m visually reminded of life in parochial school, which I experienced for 6 years (2 of middle school and 4 of high school). Granted, that was from 1998 till 2004, whereas John Patrick Shanley’s play Doubt and his film adaptation of the same name are set a year after JFK’s assassination, but the atmosphere and set design featured in the film are so accurate that it makes for that familiar feeling of strain and confinement that I’ve happily been rid of for several years now. If anything, it’s a great credit to the filmmakers that they managed to capture the environment so perfectly.

One thing needs to be said right off the bat: Doubt could’ve easily been a disaster without its acting caliber. If the performances were even slightly off the mark, it would’ve been an exercise in ridiculous, over-the-top melodrama. Most importantly, if the final scene weren’t anchored by the relentlessly stunning Meryl Streep, it would’ve been a laughably bad conclusion. All of this is due to the fact that Doubt is a largely dialogue-based production that hardly shifts locations or has much in the way of “movement” per se, which means that the energy infused by the quartet of Streep, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Viola Davis is basically the film’s driving force (though I think Adams and Streep are the most impressive of the group of four). One other great element of the film is that it ratchets up the tension during the heavy discussions by incorporating interruptions such as telephone calls and people knocking on doors at the most inopportune moment - not only is this great in adding to the stress we’re meant to undergo while watching the scenes, but it adds to the realism of the school setting.

Amy Adams’ Sister James is not only the most important character in the film in terms of the fact that the audience sees everything mostly through her eyes, but she’s also the character with the most fully-developed arc. I was concerned at first that we were gonna be dealing with this overly perky/innocent character who would end up being outraged by the things she witnessed, but instead, Shanley’s film takes the far more interesting path of having her acquire a fierceness that actually unfolds early on in the film when she argues with Sister Aloysius (Streep) over the use of “Frosty, the Snowman” as part of the school’s Christmas party. This happens to be a great example of Adams’ endless stream of talent: when she says “Well, I like Frosty the Snowman!” this could’ve easily elicited snorts from the audience, but she manages to give a compelling edge to laughable material. That fierceness slowly turns into quiet acceptance and resignation as the film goes on and her character loses control over a situation that she (arguably) started, by bringing it up in the first place. The only negative thing about that is that it makes Sister James sort of disappear during the film’s last third and not resurface until the final scene. Still, it’s hard to ignore the brilliance of Adams’ work, and this is her finest performance since Junebug.

Philip Seymour Hoffman undeniably has the toughest role in the film. His acting is far more difficult to judge than that of anyone else in the film, because Shanley has obviously directed him to make sure that Father Flynn exudes facial expressions that never fully give away whether he’s guilty or innocent. This is more of an issue with the plot than with the actor’s work: people will wonder why, if he’s innocent, he’s not more forceful in proving it, and why, if he’s guilty, he’s not trying harder to protect the misdeed from destroying him. But the film’s point is, precisely, to present two or more possible answers to every question, so all in all, it’s a good thing, and the ambiguity of Hoffman’s performance is probably exactly what was required of him to make this work. I’ll also add that he is fantastic during the three sermon scenes; as someone who’s sat through several of those, I thought that Hoffman looked as though he’d been at the pulpit for years.

As the mother of the “child in question” (who ends up being a “child in question” for more than just one or two reasons), Viola Davis is on screen for a very short amount of time, but she makes the six minutes unforgettable. Due to the fact that we don’t learn much directly from the child himself, this is the scene in which we truly learn a lot of the immensely painful, underlying things that are going on here, and it’s certainly one of the few scenes in the film in which we actually get answers to questions. Davis’ work is incredibly heart-breaking, and it’s a shame that there is something that is fundamentally wrong with this scene that keeps her great performance from having the impetus it could’ve had. Since most of the scenes in Doubt are set in small rooms in which people don’t have much space to move around, Shanley apparently wanted to vary things and elected to have this scene between the mother and Sister Aloysius take place outside, with them walking (the script uses the excuse that the mother needs to get to work, in order to have them walk outside of the office). First of all, there’s the fact that it just doesn’t seem too realistic that this conversation would be had in a public setting in which they could be heard by anyone associated with the school. But more importantly, it deprives the scene of that excellent sense of trapped helplessness that we get in all the other scenes that take place in Sister Aloysius’ office. It’s fine to want to vary things by having an exterior scene with people walking, but it was a mistake to pick this particular scene to do that. Davis would’ve been able to impress even more if she had been standing in front of Streep in a closed room, and if the two women had been able to raise their voice during the scene. Many are saying that Davis manages to accomplish the insurmountable task of outshining Streep in this scene, and my response to that is that it obviously looks that way, but that’s only because Davis has a lot more to do in the scene, but I don’t think it compares to the totality of what Streep does during the entire film.

Put simply, Streep is electrifying. If you thought she played a bitch in The Devil Wears Prada, wait till you see this. Shot from behind during her first few on-screen seconds, she perfectly captures the role of the strict figure who notices even the smallest detail (like an inconspicuous earplug that is not allowed at the school) and doesn’t flinch to punish where she feels punishment is due (a philosophy that clearly influences how her character approaches the film’s central conflict). Her portrayal of Sister Aloysius ranks among her best. The scene towards the end when she removes the cross has to be seen for its devilish intensity. As I mentioned, she pretty much saves the film’s final scene from giving Doubt a calamitous ending. Shanley’s script is at times a bit obvious and heavy-handed, and such is the case during this last scene, when the script attempts to accentuate the significance of the film’s one-word title, as if the events of the film itself hadn’t been enough for a viewer of average intelligence to understand the constant presence of doubt in all that has transpired. But Streep rescues the movie from this misstep by making us question just what exactly Sister Aloysius has doubts about: does she simply think she may have made a mistake in what she decided to do, or are her doubts of a larger scope? Is she having a crisis of faith? Streep takes a scripted line that tried to give an awfully simplistic ending to the film and opens it to interpretation. That’s the stuff of magnificent acting.

[color=black][font=Tahoma][color=black][font=Tahoma][color=black][font=Times New Roman]Is Doubt too theatrical? Many have argued that it is, but I feel like the problem surfaces only on a few select occasions, and I don’t think they’re enough to condemn the film, even if they keep it from reaching heavenly perfection. Shanley’s film often takes the road of symbolism to convey particular elements that affect the plot, and this is a wise choice in a film that, at its core, deals heavily with religious values. Yes, the face-off between Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius is propelled initially by the situation with the child, but especially towards the latter part of the film, it’s obvious that there’s a larger scope to their duel of words: Sister Aloysius turned to the service of God (?) after her husband was killed in battle in Italy, and she has a relentlessly strict and traditional approach, whereas the friendly (?) Father Flynn, who also coaches basketball to the boys and gives them advice on how to approach girls, is a more liberal-minded priest, so the dissent between both characters is inevitable, and this ultimately becomes the center of their bitter battle. This blesses the film with a wider thematic scope, and that, along with the excellent acting, leaves no room for any doubt that this is a very good motion picture.

This was a really great film. The acting was great, and it kept my interest throughout. It defiantly lead up to its nominations

Wow! This film was bloody amazing! Doubt is a story that brings light familiarity to 2006's Notes On A Scandal. The only difference is that it involves nuns and priests instead of teachers. Doubt turned out rather similar to the 81st Academy Awards like Notes On A Scandal did at the 79th what with the nominations. Doubt is probably one of the most powerful films of 2008 alongside Changeling, Revolutionary Road, The Wrestler and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Because I couldn't find any showings at the cinema and the Oscar ceremony is less than a month away, I had no choice but to watch it online. Doubt is a film that really grabs your attention and holds you while you're watching it. Doubt is an amazing film but it is a very predictable film. The story had a very motivating and moving tone but it is quite delayed within the first 20 minutes because it is only until Sister Beauvier begins to suspect Father Flynn of child abuse within the school on a young black boy. It takes a very light twist but not a really shocking one though. The cast of Doubt is really well ensemble with all four actors earning Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.


Meryl Streep delivers her best performance in years as Sister Aloysius Beauvier. Meryl looked really grumpy, bitter and strict for that character's personality. Personally, it was about time Meryl played this type of character. Sister Beauvier is the principal of the attached school of the Bronx Catholic Church. I was blown away by how powerful she made every single scene be in this film. Sister Beauvier is very bitter and very firm with her students. She behaves a lot like Barbara in Notes On A Scandal. Phillip Seymour Hoffman in my honest opinion gives the performance of his career thus far as Father Brendan Flynn. Yes, better than palying Truman Capote. He was an amazing choice because Phillip does seem like that scheming and slimy type to play this sort of character. Also, he seems that typical type of actor to play a priest. Father Flynn is a priest in the Catholic church but is a sports teacher in the school. His career changes around when both Sister Beauvier and Sister James accuse him of child abuse. After seeing Enchanted, Amy Adams performance looked very good in Doubt and when I did see Doubt, her performance in my opinion is the best female supporting performance of 2008 so far. I really admire Amy even more as a person now as well as an actress. In the past 2 years she has portrayed characters that are totally different: a beautiful, charming and bright princess in 2007 and a young nun who is a teacher in 2008. Even at her young age, Amy revealed she is an actress to be reckoned with and is not to be underestimated. Viola Davis' performance was really amazing as Mrs. Miller who is the mother of accused victim Donald Miller. Mrs. Miller is a very mysterious woman and is questioned about what sort of mother she really is by Sister Beauvier of all people. Viola wasn't in the film for very long but she was really powerful and emotional in every single second of her two only scenes she was involved in. This film is the one film of 2008 that features the best performances from the entire cast.


John Patrick Shanley directs this film from his own novel and he certainly didn't disappoint at all. There have been some novels that have been made into films that were directed and published by the same person that have been bad but this is absolutely awesome. Writing a script can be rather easy from a novel but it is harder from a true life story in which I stated in one of my reviews. I think it was my Zodiac review.


Doubt is my favourite Phillip Seymour Hoffman film so far. Doubt is Meryl Streep's best performance since Sophie's Choice. It is Amy Adam's best performance so far. She has been in two masterpieces as far as I'm concerned. Doubt is a very powerful film but Changeling is the most powerful film of 2008. I liked Doubt more than Changeling. Doubt is another snub for Best Picture with The Dark Knight, Revolutionary Road, Changeling, WALL-E and The Wrestler.

''I have doubts. I have such doubts.''

Set in 1964, Doubt centers on a nun who confronts a priest after suspecting him of abusing a black student. He denies the charges, and much of the play's quick-fire dialogue tackles themes of religion, morality, and authority.

Meryl Streep: Sister Aloysius Beauvier

''Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone.''

Doubt is the mystery of whether or not a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is guilty of molesting an altar boy. The priest's primary accuser is Sister Aloysius, the tyrannical principal of the Catholic school that provides Doubt its location. Watching Hoffman and Streep spar is like watching two professional craftsman at their peak, and fans of exquisite acting should waste no time in seeing the battle of wills and the wrath of unknowing . The movie purposely never clarifies the ambiguity of the charges, is in fact Hoffman's priest truly guilty of something, or is Sister Aloysius simply on a mad witch hunt? Streep's character is the most complex and haunted. From one perspective, she's a nearly maniacal dryed up angry, husk of a woman, intent on ruining a man's life and career for no clear reason. However, if her accusations are legitimate, she's a sort of hero, demanding justice from a male-dominated world bent on being superior, bent on following the rules and keeping secrets, secret regardless of fact or indeed fiction. Streep's performance is the real masterpiece here, she is in fire in and years of experience are on show for us to marvel at in Doubt.
A strict taskmaster, her character relishes her role as the upholder of tradition, rejecting such modern devices as ballpoint pens and the singing of secular songs at Christmas like Frosty the Snowman which she equates with pagan magic.

According to a report commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, over four thousand clerics were accused of sexual abuse during the past fifty years. Although approximately thirty percent of these accusations were not investigated because they were unsubstantiated, given the proclivity of the bishops to cover up these incidents, the figures are widely suspected to be underestimated. What may be lost in the discussion of statistics about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, however, is an understanding of the humanity of the people involved or the complexities of the circumstances.

This matter is covered in Doubt, based on Shanley's personal experiences at Catholic School, the film explores not only the issue of possible sexual abuse but conservative versus progressive religious values and how far one can rely on suspicion in the absence of proof. Set in 1964, one year after the Kennedy assassination, Sister Aloysius Beauvier is the dragon lady of St. Nicholas school in the Bronx.

Father Flynn: Where is your compassion?
Sister Aloysius: Nowhere you can get at it.

Amy Adams receives the pivotal role of a young, innocent nun who first brings her suspicions about the priest to her superior, and then sees them become Frankenstein's monster. In many ways, Adams' character is us, the audience, placed in the position of having to come to a conclusion on our own when empirical evidence is lacking. Adams' role is the least showy, but she does much with it.
Also Viola Davis, who, in merely five minutes, decimates the audience with some shocking conclusions of her own as the altar boy's mother. The insulated, hushed world of the Catholic Church is blown wide open by this struggling mother, who's seen more of the world than any of the priests and nuns sheltered behind the church's walls, and who puts the film's running themes of racial and gender inequality into harsh perspective.

The central battle in Doubt in many forms comes down to each individual's view of the world and his or her ability to accept the ambiguity of day to day life. There's a lot about the world we will never know and much about our futures we'll never be able to shape or plan. So what's better -- anticipating the worst and therefore being prepared when it comes? or believing in the best and running the risk of being disappointed when it fails to arise? The story makes us wonder, and rather than give us answers needlessly, it let's our minds conclude our own solutions.

Father Brendan Flynn: I can fight you.
Sister Aloysius Beauvier: You will lose.

"Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone."

Written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, Doubt - an expert screen adaptation of Shanley's own Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play - is a complex and uneasy moral thriller shaped by words and characters that relays a story of doubt and certainty in direct conflict. This intellectually and emotionally fatiguing experience is a drama of the highest calibre which concerns a nun and a priest caught on opposite sides of an alleged scandal. This sets in motion an inquisition of morals, values, character, and faith - not just faith in God, but in themselves as well. It's also a tale that enters a moral quagmire from which it never fully emerges. Films often provide resolution and catharsis, but these are qualities rarely uncovered in real life situations, and this is mirrored in Shanley's screenplay. With enough dramatic meat to chew on for days, one is likely to finish watching Doubt pondering the plethora of evidence found within the movie but will be no closer to truth than any of the characters. With assured direction, a superior script, and staggering performances, Doubt isn't a comfortable experience, but it's certainly an engrossing one.

Set during the mid-60s at a Catholic School in New York, Doubt centres on the charismatic Father Flynn (Hoffman) and the strict, poisonous Sister Aloysius (Streep). When the naïve young Sister James (Adams) communicates to Sister Aloysius her guilt-inducing suspicions about the possibly inappropriate bond developing between Father Flynn and the school's sole African American child (Foster), the elder nun embarks on an unrelenting personal crusade to expose the truth. Without a single shred of evidence to corroborate her suspicions, Sister Aloysius locks in a battle of wills with Father Flynn as his sanctity and integrity as a priest is brought into question. Based on merely circumstantial evidence and her innate distrust of Flynn, Sister Aloysius first obliquely then directly accuses him of sexually abusing the boy.

The fundamental question at the core of Doubt relates to the nature of the relationship between Father Flynn and Donald Miller (the African American boy). There are several possibilities, and Shanley supplies evidence to support virtually every one of them. Shanley doesn't stack the deck and, crucially, he refuses to present the definitive truth. (Would anyone expect anything different from a movie titled Doubt?) The picture is also set in an era when priests were trusted implicitly but during which such trust was abused in certain cases (according to court cases, news reports, etc).

Lensed with arresting autumnal weight by cinematographer Roger Deakins, Doubt generates an overpowering religious grip immediately, taking the viewer into a Catholic church divided where the line of power was drawn only by gender. Shanley's feature is thinly plotted and is marred by the occasional narrative lull, but it's nonetheless enthralling. Doubt asks a simple question: did Flynn molest the boy? Writer-director Shanley employs the hook of curiosity to keep an audience riveted as the script examines the bigger picture, tackling the responsibility of power and the struggle of faith. This is packaged elegantly, but not easily. Shanley is wise enough to keep building up apprehension as Aloysius insists herself further into the fray, and while Flynn guards his innocence with less power and more desperation as the conclusion draws nearer (an ending which presents new and enduring conundrums).

"You just want things to be resolved so you can have simplicity back."

Red herrings are plentiful in Doubt. Sharp framing as well as other sly cinematic devices are employed to spawn an aura of suspicion surrounding everything. Curiosity is piqued, creating a feeling of discomfort in which the viewer questions every little detail. What did that facial expression mean? Why did that character say that the way he said it? Different viewers can process this information in different ways and reach a different conclusion. This is the beauty of the screenplay and the masterful acting - it does not dictate, but instead asks each viewer to draw their own conclusions. Some may call this approach unsatisfying and manipulative...this reviewer calls it brilliant. Doubt does falter in one aspect, however. Religious allegories are overused, and eventually become intrusive. For instance, Aloysius' light bulb dies during a verbal gladiatorial match and the weather radically changes from time to time.

The world of Doubt is excellently enclosed, and separate from goings-on beyond the boundaries of this Catholic School. With a few minor exceptions, the film plays out entirely within this primary location. It certainly helps that production values are top-notch and the atmosphere is impeccably established. Deakins' cinematography is particularly mesmerising, while Howard Shore's brilliantly gentle, sparsely-used score is the icing on the cake. Shanley is skilled enough to ensure music is an ancillary device to generate power as well...the camerawork and the stellar cast are his primary tools.

Father Flynn: You haven't the slightest proof of anything!
Sister Aloysius: "But I have my certainty! And armed with that, I will go to your last parish, and the one before that if necessary. I'll find a parent."

To say the acting in Doubt is first-rate could be perceived as an insult; the work here is perfection. This is a showcase for the four main actors, all of which were nominated for Academy Awards.
Doubt features yet another superlative performance courtesy of Meryl Streep. The actress always takes the time to understand every character she plays. As Sister Aloysius, Streep is in fine form. She vanishes into her role, and everything - including posture, body language, mannerisms, physical appearance, accent, etc - is nailed by the award-winning actress. Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the very few actors capable of holding his own in a scene with Streep, and that's precisely what he does. His portrayal of Father Flynn is strong and self-assured, displaying compassion and depth while his characterisation also keeps us wondering. Streep and Hoffman in particular make the film's runtime fly by with their spellbinding vocal combat, yet the interactions involving the supporting cast are equally mesmeric.

Caught in the middle of the verbal battle between the two protagonists is Amy Adams as Sister James. Shanley extracts a truly remarkable performance from Adams. Her role is less showy and more subdued, displaying credible wisdom and despair. The fourth brilliant performance is that of Viola Davis, who is simply a marvel during her 10-minute appearance. She plays the extremely minor role of Donald Miller's mother with such courage and candour that she changes the complexion of the story during the course of ten minutes.

Doubt is a powerful, provocative motion picture...undoubtedly one of the greatest movies of 2008. Vehemently a cautionary tale, it warns of the dangers of blindly following unsupported assumptions as well as displaying the serious outcomes of following such assumptions. Those who enjoy moral dramas not wrapped up in absolutes will adore mulling over what they've seen; ultimately unable to determine the best conclusion. Writer-director John Patrick Shanley's goal was to foster doubt, and he has succeeded tremendously.

8.7/10

To watch Doubt is to engage in a mental game of "Who do you believe? And why?" and to watch some of the greatest actors currently working playing off of each other. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep do, at times, resort to Acting! but it comes from a very natural place. Their characters are distrustful of each other, and are quick to engage in banter, fights and explosive arguments before this movie even begins. The history of the characters, the way the actors imbue the characters with a sense of a fully lived life is remarkable. The most obvious showcase of this being Viola Davis as Mrs. Miller. She has two scenes, and is the most crucial character in the movie. She comes in from the outside world, and shows that sometimes things appear one way, but are infinitely more complex then what we think they really are. And Amy Adams holds her own, finding the perfect balance between the naive, sweet Sister James and the more complicated, sad, disturbed emotions she feels beneath the nun clothing. Did Father Flynn do it? I don't think so. What is Sister Aloysius doubting at the end? I think it could be several things. I love that this movie engages you and makes you think from the very beginning of the first frame to the last. How rare is that these days? Now that is a question worth discussion.

Com certeza absoluta, não há nome melhor para este filme, adptado de uma premiada peça de mesmo nome. O filme se passa em meados de 1960's, numa escola de freiras onde uma rígida freira, que é também a diretora da escola, inicia uma cruzada contra o padre local, devido à suspeita de que esteja dando atenção demasiada a um aluno. Com um elenco memorável, "Dúvida" se baseia nisto.

Com uma atmosfera sombria, "Dúvida" começa na missa, com o padre dando seu sermão. Interpretado com maestria por Philip Seymour Hoffman, padre Brendan Flynn é o centro das atenções por seu suspeita. E interpretações boas sobram em "Dúvida". Além de Philip Seymour, Meryl Streep e Amy Adams fazem bonito quando aparecem. Sem contar Viola Davis que aparece pouco no filme, mas surpreende muitíssimo. Sua atuação só colaborou.

Streep é, sem dúvida, a melhor atuação presente. Mas como todos já conhecem seu talento incontestável, quem impressiona mais é Amy Adams. Saída do belo "Encantada", agora como Irmã James, Amy mostra que mereceu com exaltação sua indicação ao Oscar de Melhor Atriz Coadjuvante. No caso de Streep, indicada pela Academia por Melhor Atriz, também não faz feio. Sua Irmã Aloysius Beauvier transborda medo aos alunos da escola, às Irmãs e a quem assiste também.

Um roteiro belíssimo, uma fotografia linda, um elenco de primeira e diálogos bem trablhados. "Dúvida" se mostra como um dos melhores filmes deste começo de ano. Botando na balança, percebo que "O Leitor", mesmo sendo um belíssimo longa, não deveria ser indicado ao Oscar de Melhor Filme, dando lugar assim para "Dúvida".