Doubt [2008] Movie Reviews on CinemaClock

Excellent acting all around, especially from Meryl Streep. She is a wonder. She conveys so much with just facial expressions. Philip Seymour Hoffman is also terrific, as always, taking on a complex role. And Amy Adams is a talent to watch for--she has a special quality, an innocence, which was perfect for her role as a young nun torn between her duty and her compassion. The script is quite challenging and is left ambiguous at the end. Throughout the film we are left in 'doubt' as to whether the priest has done something wrong involving a young boy at his parish. We are also left to ponder whether the head nun was right in pursuing her case against him on her 'certainty' that she was right. It's a screenplay that examines 'doubt' and 'certainty' and leaves one slightly wanting at the end because there are no clear answers. If you don't like ambiguous screenplays or being challenged, then don't see this film. For my money, though, it was worth it just to see Streep and Hoffman engage in heated wordplay, and to watch Streep in a fearsome performance.