13Thirteen

The latest movie in my 365 list was written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, who also wrote and directed Joe Versus the Volcano;  Doubt however, was definitely no Joe.  And that, is a good thing because whereas Joe was an eccentric, if not cult-ish, comedy, Doubt was a drama that tugged at the fears and insecurities that face many people to this day.  Set in 1964 at a Catholic church in the Bronx, the film centers around Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a priest ; Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep), the principal of the attached school; and Sister James (Amy Adams), a naive teacher that has a troubling suspicion that the priest had an inappropriate encounter with the school’s only black student.Simply said, I found this movie very well done.  The mystery that surrounded the main plot left you, as its namesake, in doubt.  A great play on “he said-she said”, the film made you wonder if Father Flynn really was just a warm-hearted individual or a conniving pedophile; or if Sister Aloysius was really a creepy old nun or a woman who truly cared for everyone under her care.  I can see why it was nominated for as many Academy Awards as it was.  The 3 main actors really shined, but Viola Davis as the mother of the only black student gave a tour-de-force performance.  And although I haven’t yet seen Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, I believe that her performance, though short, was enough to warrant her the Oscar.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10