*Posted December 31, 2008*First, a shout-out to Herb on his excellent end-of-the-year movie reviews. It seems like this Christmas season has been good for some pretty solid movies, Ben Button, Valkyrie, etc, but Doubt may be the best of the bunch and it sadly may slip through the cracks. Understandably, not many people want to see a 1960s period piece about suggested pedophilia between a priest and a young black boy, I was even skpetical about Catholic bashing, even though there isn't any, but the acting and writing are top-notch. Meryl Streep will get a lot of credit for her chilling portrayal of Sister Aloysius. If anyone can match her in a scene, it may be Philip Seymour Hoffman. He is slowly who is turning into one of the better actors around.In my opinion, the star of the film was Amy Adams as Sister James who is caught in the middle between Aloysius and Father Flynn (Hoffman's character). The movie is dedicated to the real Sister James. The is no concrete ending to the movie and certainly no clear conclusion. Events unfold, but it is still unclear what exactly Father Flynn did, if anything. As with many well-written films, it is up to the audience to decipher and decide. The previews make it seem like Streep is the maverick hunting down Hoffman. In society, priests are guilty until proven innocent. After leaving the film, you might still feel this way or you might have a totally different idea. Is Father Flynn on trail? or is Sister Aloyisus? This movie is not for everyone, no speical effects, nor any action of any kind, and some pretty serious issues and thoughts, but, as one critic writes, "it is drama at its highest caliber, shaped by words and characters."In a season with big-budget action, it may be a simple drama that trumps them all.
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