Doubt (Hoffman, Streep, Adams)

[Watashi]

Trailer
(http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/doubt/large.html)

We've been given a wave of trailers for the big Oscar films this past week.

[Watashi]

And c'mon guys, respond! It's sad when a John Moore video game adaptation has more replies than new movies from Eastwood, Aronofsky, Joe Wright, and Gus Van Sant combined.

[Amnesiac]

Philip Seymour Hoffman is great.

This certainly looks interesting, I hope it turns out to be good. Meryl Streep seems to be channeling Nurse Ratched-like levels of arrogance and vehemence with her character.

[eternity]

That trailer was absolutely facepalm worthy. Notice I just said trailer.

[transmogrifier]

And c'mon guys, respond! It's sad when a John Moore video game adaptation has more replies than new movies from Eastwood, Aronofsky, Joe Wright, and Gus Van Sant combined.

And no-one told me?!

[NickGlass]

The dialogue in the trailer isn't very sharp, but I'm anticipating those smaller, powerhouse performances (most likely from Ms. Viola Davis).

[dreamdead]

So Streep plays vindictive in order to ruin Hoffman, who criticizes her practices? That's it? Eh. Not sure it'll translate enough to justify any re-imagining from the play format, but Adams will likely get me there at some point. Doesn't look foolproof yet, though.

[number8]

That looks boring.

[chrisnu]

That looks boring.
Indeed. If it weren't for the cast, I wouldn't be interested at all.

[Ezee E]

Kind of a long trailer, but I like it. It's the Notes on a Scandal / Closer for the year.

[Watashi]

Amy Adams is one hawt nun.

[ThePlashyBubbler]

I watched the trailer for this a few weeks ago knowing nothing about it, and was completely uninterested.

This morning I heard that it was the first directorial effort by Shanley since Joe vs. the Volcano, and suddenly the trailer looks great and I am pumped.

[Raiders]

I'm definitely interested. I was a fan of the stage play.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I'm definitely interested. I was a fan of the stage play.

My wife and I tried to catch this while it was touring, but things didn't work out. I'm still bummed about it. I guess this'll have to do for now.

[Pop Trash]

JOE VS. THE VOLCANO POR VIDA!!!

[Sycophant]

Saw a local production of the stage play, which was polished, but it didn't ultimately impress me. Willing to give the film version a shot, though.

[number8]

SOME roles just don't suit Natalie Portman. At the junket for the film version of his "Doubt," playwright John Patrick Shanley was asked how Amy Adams won the role of an emotionally conflicted nun. "I'm trying to think of what the etiquette is on this," Shanley chuckled, blushing a bit. Urged on by a blogger for gossipsauce.com, he continued, "Well, we asked Natalie Portman, and Natalie was very interested but kept saying she had a problem. And we finally nailed down as to what the problem was. She basically said she didn't understand celibacy."

I love you.

[Qrazy]

I love you.

How can an actor not understand celibacy. I mean sure it's not your cup of tea but it's not that difficult a concept to wrap one's head around. Did you have sex as a child? No? Extrapolate that a little ways. Or have you ever fasted or done lent or denied yourself anything in order to appreciate another element of life a little more? Just apply that to sex and there you go.

[number8]

You are completely missing the point here.

[Grouchy]

... which is that Natalie Portman is an unredeemable idiot.

[Henry Gale]

I think it means she loves the sex too much.

[NickGlass]

Shanley delivers a hit-or-miss adaptation. When it is good, it's moderately successful; when it's bad (particularly due to its stodgy symbolism), it's rather painful. A sense of humor would have helped the film immensely. My review will be up Wednesday.

It's most interesting to see this adaptation as representing the stern hypocrisy of Sister Aloysius while the play is more similar to the thoughtful, sensible Father Flynn.

[Raiders]

Shanley delivers a hit-or-miss adaptation. When it is good, it's moderately successful; when it's bad (particularly due to its stodgy symbolism), it's rather painful. A sense of humor would have helped the film immensely. My review will be up Wednesday.

It's most interesting to see this adaptation as representing the stern hypocrisy of Sister Aloysius while the play is more similar to the thoughtful, sensible Father Flynn.

So he's actually changed some of the material from his play for the screen? Hm. Maybe a few years later he now views his own material differently.

In either case, I'm very excited to see this.

[NickGlass]

So he's actually changed some of the material from his play for the screen? Hm. Maybe a few years later he now views his own material differently.

In either case, I'm very excited to see this.

It's not that he's changed the material--he clings to the material in a very serious manner, yet applies stodgy cinematic symbolism. He's dressing up a perfectly fine Christmas tree with obvious cinematic techniques.

[number8]

Shanley delivers a hit-or-miss adaptation. When it is good, it's moderately successful; when it's bad (particularly due to its stodgy symbolism), it's rather painful. A sense of humor would have helped the film immensely. My review will be up Wednesday.

Yeah? I thought the first half of the movie was pretty hilarious. I was pretty much laughing at almost every scene Meryl Streep was in. Also, that smash cut from the priests' dinner table to the nuns' was gold. I think my entire theater cracked up at that.

But yeah, all the dutch angles in the film are pretty asinine and random.

[Ezee E]

Yeah? I thought the first half of the movie was pretty hilarious. I was pretty much laughing at almost every scene Meryl Streep was in. Also, that smash cut from the priests' dinner table to the nuns' was gold. I think my entire theater cracked up at that.

But yeah, all the dutch angles in the film are pretty asinine and random.
Saw that in the previews and was curious about it.

John Adams managed to get away with it.

[Sycophant]

Oh God, I finally saw a trailer for this last night. It looks hysterical and so different from the production I saw that I just can't believe it.

[NickGlass]

Oh God, I finally saw a trailer for this last night. It looks hysterical and so different from the production I saw that I just can't believe it.

I wish it were more hysterical than it is (because it's not).

http://thelmagazine.com/6/35/Film/film7.cfm?ctype=2

[Boner M]

Movin' up, eh Nick?

[NickGlass]

Movin' up, eh Nick?

Next step: getting paid.

(Which I did at The Boston Phoenix, but not here!)

[Ivan Drago]

Yeah? I thought the first half of the movie was pretty hilarious. I was pretty much laughing at almost every scene Meryl Streep was in. Also, that smash cut from the priests' dinner table to the nuns' was gold. I think my entire theater cracked up at that.

But yeah, all the dutch angles in the film are pretty asinine and random.

Is the humor intentional?

[Raiders]

I don't know, but this just wasn't quite as compelling as it was on stage. I think the proscenium and the limited-set format of theatre gave it more ambiguity and stressed the way everything happened behind closed doors. This allowed for there to be genuine doubt and almost a "choosing of sides" between the characters and the audience. The biggest conflict of the play is in the styles of leadership between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn, but the film doesn't play it at the same pitch. There seems to be more guilt in Father Flynn on screen and never once does it really seem in doubt. There is also the fact that Hoffman simply isn't a charming screen presence, he's anguished and shrewd. The match between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn never feels equal and the outcome never in doubt as Hoffman is simply too blustering and foolish to play the part. Streep deserves serious honors for her portrayal here, in particular for the final moments of the film. This version, as opposed to the more charismatic and even-handed stage play, does Streep no favors by playing her as the champ from the first moment and when she finally has to express doubt, it seems odd since the film has so easily laid out her victory. Credit Streep for even making it slightly work.

Disappointing.

[Ezee E]

In the end, this is one that will have audience members thinking, "That's it?" While it starts off well, and each confrontation is strong, it's the final scene that will make others question it the most, as it seems a little out of place. As Raiders mentioned, there's a clear winner pretty early on. If it were to be a little more neutral, then the end may work more. If anything, the Father could've gone more into how his career would be ruined for the fact of it even coming up, instead it's just touched on.

I love the poweracting movies, but this one just comes up a little weak compared to others. I give it three stars because it's still pretty entertaining to watch both PSH/Streep square off against each other, and the horror that is Sister Aloysius.

[SirNewt]

I haven't seen the production but I thought the film was marvelous and the ending a believable consequence of Sister Alloysius' independence.

[Raiders]

I haven't seen the production but I thought the film was marvelous and the ending a believable consequence of Sister Alloysius' independence.

Could you expound on this at all? My issue is that the film (and that fact that Streep is 100x more convincing than Hoffman) skews everything in her favor, but then pulls a 180 in those final moments in order to have its cake and eat it too. How can I empathize with genuine doubt when the film has all but left me with none?

[number8]

Harry Knowles' review has a... bizarre... ending.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39597

[Ezee E]

Harry Knowles' review has a... bizarre... ending.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39597
That's Harry for ya.

[SirNewt]

Could you expound on this at all? My issue is that the film (and that fact that Streep is 100x more convincing than Hoffman) skews everything in her favor, but then pulls a 180 in those final moments in order to have its cake and eat it too. How can I empathize with genuine doubt when the film has all but left me with none?

Alloysius steps outside the catholic process prescribed by her faith and even sins (lies) to catch Flynn. These two things made me believe in her lack of faith in Providence, and perhaps in her Catholic faith entirely.

[number8]

Well, I think the ending has more to do with Sister Aloysius' own molested past than her recent actions, really.

[Raiders]

The ending is trying to use "doubts" to potentially cover a ton of things, but none of them feel very convincing, least of which her doubt over her decision or her faith in God.

[Kurosawa Fan]

My wife and I saw this tonight. I am in complete agreement with Raiders on every point mentioned. It would be pointless to post anything other than that. I will say that this is one of those rare occasions when every performance that's been gushed about actually lived up to the hype. The lone exception might be Hoffman, but I never heard people raving about him, he just seemed to fall into a nomination. But Streep, Adams, and Davis were all amazing; Davis especially so since she had so little screen time.

EDIT: I should mention that I haven't seen the play. That's one thing that I don't have in common with Raiders review.