Set in 1964, Amy Adams stars as Sister James – a relatively new nun assigned to a Bronx Catholic school run by the tough as nails, no-nonsense, authoritarian nun, Sister Beauvier (Meryl Streep). While she and Sister James don’t see eye to eye about how to teach and control the children, the young nun seeks out Sister Beauvier when she becomes concerned about what might be an inappropriate relationship between the school’s first African-American student, and Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Coming in the wake of world wide scandals of paedophile priests, Doubt is both relevant and surprising. It’s surprising because of what writer/director John Patrick Shanley does with the subject matter, which is to take a completely unexpected course. It’s not a simplistic story about clear cut moral choices, but a complex case that is riveting for its lack of black and white, and rich in the greys that make up much of our lives.

Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a kindly priest with progressive views about the role of the Church and engages our sympathies. Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) is old school disciplinarian whose modus operandi is to rule the school by fear.

Sister James (Amy Adams) is a young innocent – but not a spineless one – whose methods rely more on kindness. There is a scene in which she is teaching her class, and on the blackboard she had written: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, the famous Franklin D. Roosevelt admonition, which resonates for its relevance as Sister Aloysius turns her righteous wrath on Father Flynn, on the flimsiest premise – a mere wisp of suspicion that Sister James brings to her attention. Father Flynn is championing the school’s only black student, Donald Muller (Jospeh Foster) and perhaps there is more to it than is good for the boy.

Viola Davis delivers another heartbreaking performance as Donald’s mother, who provides richer context for the boy’s presence at the school, and underlines the importance of him getting through.

From this simple, everyday scenario, Shanley works up a spectacular clash of spiritual methods and fans the flames of every kind of fear in the process. So clever is the writing, the direction and the performances that we swing to and fro in our trust and belief in Father Flynn. We despise Sister Aloysius for her bitter crusade one minute, but then doubt Father Flynn’s innocence the next.

Shanley demonstrates the negative power of suspicions aired but ensures that we are never privy to the pivotal event that leads to the suspicions that trigger the episode and even after the film’s wrenching conclusion, we are still in doubt. Recommended to watch for clever writing and acting.

credits: Urban Cinefile | Yahoo! Movies Singapore

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Official Movie Poster

Singapore Date: 29th January 2009 Language: English Running Time: 104 mins Rating: G Genre: Drama Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Viola Davis, Amy Adams, Meryl Streep Directed by: John Patrick Shanley Company: Goodspeed Productions Singapore Distributor: Buena Vista International iZone Rating: 7/10 Official Website : Doubt

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Movie Trailer

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