doubt
It's not great news, folks.
This film's gotta go in that category, along with Little Children and Black Hawk Down, of movies I'm glad I saw, but never want to see again. You can watch a movie like this and know in your head that it's great: great direction, great acting, great cinematography... but it hurts your heart. I know Doubt is good... but it's freaking disturbing.
It should go without saying that anytime you get Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Amy Adams in the same movie, you're going to get some Acting. And I really can't gush enough on that cinematography: crazy off-kilter shots to add to the uneasiness of some of the scenes, overhead God-view shots...
But ick.
For those of you who've seen this one, I want to know: Did he or didn't he? Leave a comment, be opinionated. Like you all will have trouble with that.
This film's gotta go in that category, along with Little Children and Black Hawk Down, of movies I'm glad I saw, but never want to see again. You can watch a movie like this and know in your head that it's great: great direction, great acting, great cinematography... but it hurts your heart. I know Doubt is good... but it's freaking disturbing.
It should go without saying that anytime you get Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Amy Adams in the same movie, you're going to get some Acting. And I really can't gush enough on that cinematography: crazy off-kilter shots to add to the uneasiness of some of the scenes, overhead God-view shots...
But ick.
For those of you who've seen this one, I want to know: Did he or didn't he? Leave a comment, be opinionated. Like you all will have trouble with that.
January 13, 2009 at 2:38 PM
I feel the same way about "Last King of Scotland" - it steals a part of your soul, but sometimes you have to see those things and understand those things to be a better/bigger person.
January 13, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Ooh, yes. Let's add Last King of Scotland to the list.
That observation is very astute, though, Ms. Jess. Things like this get us out of our happy little bubbles.
January 13, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Seen it, and I'm one to think "He didn't"...but when it comes to things like that, all one needs to do is accuse loud enough and person's entire life is broken beyond repair.
Part of the point right? That doubt can be a power as strong as certainty.
Funny thing though, I had such a hard time writing about this flick. Maybe because there just ain't much to be said - it is what it is, see it and move on...
January 15, 2009 at 12:31 AM
He did it, plain and simple.
Unless he didn't.
But he did.
Maybe.
January 15, 2009 at 10:04 AM
That's exactly the point, Hatter. You're also really right about not having much to say about this one. I didn't even want to talk about it that much after seeing it--and that's pretty rare for me.
Fletch. I really don't want to think he did it. But he probably did. Maybe. Or not.
January 28, 2009 at 10:36 AM
I just saw Doubt this weekend. I think that we are not supposed to know if he did or didn't, therefore the "doubt". But I don't think he did it. I think he was talking to the boy who apparently had some homosexual tendencies (according to the mother). If he had revealed the boy's secret, he would have been kicked out of school or worse.
Meryl Streep's charector didn't like the priest's progressive thinking and his sermon on having doubt hit her personally.
It was a very interesting movie and as you said, stellar acting by everyone. How cool is it for Viola Davis to be nominated for an Oscar for just one scene in a movie?