Doubt Factor
HD trailer for John Patrick Shanley's Doubt (Miramax, 12.12), with Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams in the lead roles. The culture has been making pederast Catholic priest jokes for so long that generating curiosity about who the bad guy is in this film, what he's probably done and what will (most likely) happen in the end seems like a challenge. So it will all come down to the the craft of it, including, of course, the potential for at least two great performances.
One question: why in the name of God (and that expression obviously has a literal meaning in this context) would old-crow nuns in any parish or sector of the country wear those laughable Pilgrim-women bonnets? The 19th Century anachronism effect is bizarre. They look like Norweigan immigrant women escaping from "Giants of the Earth."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 15, 2008 at 7:35 AM
comment #1
MikeSchaeferSF
says ...
Did you see the play, Jeff? It's called "Doubt" for a reason...
Posted by MikeSchaeferSF
at September 15, 2008 7:47 AM
comment #2
calraigh
says ...
It looks excellent. Then again, I'm in no position to judge trailers- I thought Ghost Town looked like a gem from it's own.
Posted by calraigh
at September 15, 2008 8:01 AM
comment #3
BurmaShave
says ...
When did Streep start overacting consistently? After ADAPTATION?
Posted by BurmaShave
at September 15, 2008 8:02 AM
comment #4
Chris Willman
says ...
Re the bonnets: It's a period piece.
Posted by Chris Willman
at September 15, 2008 8:37 AM
comment #5
btwnproductions
says ...
The story takes place in 1964, as Vatican II was coming in (well before the era of pedophile priest jokes). Hoffman's character represents changing times. I'm concerned about the "opening out" of the taut material--there are four characters in the play, including a mother played by Viola Davis--but I trust Shanley knows his own material.
Posted by btwnproductions
at September 15, 2008 8:46 AM
comment #6
btwnproductions
says ...
Oh, and the nice thing about this year-end awards hopeful is that, if done right, it should run no longer than 95-100 minutes.
Posted by btwnproductions
at September 15, 2008 8:48 AM
comment #7
T. S. Idiot
says ...
Love Streep, but she's making the character too obviously a nutjob villain. Anton Chigurh's soft-spokenness makes him more scary.
Posted by T. S. Idiot
at September 15, 2008 9:59 AM
comment #8
btwnproductions
says ...
It's not a heroes-and-villains story. The play is subtitled "A Parable," and it's hard to convey that quality in a trailer whose job is to get the juices flowing.
Posted by btwnproductions
at September 15, 2008 11:29 AM
comment #9
cinefan
says ...
Just going by the trailer, of the three main performances, Amy Adams' is the one that I'm looking forward to seeing the most.
Posted by cinefan
at September 15, 2008 3:18 PM
comment #10
Kevin
says ...
The plot of Doubt is much more complex than a mere story of pederasty, especially with the carefully calibrated and brilliant structure Shanley gave his play. I'd be spoiling the story, if I went further, but judging solely from the trailer, Streep looks more like a harridan on a witch hunt than Cherry Jones' superlatively tough but surprisingly warm performance as Sister Aloysius.
Keep an eye out for Viola Davis in the pivotal role of Mrs. Muller. The role is about an eight minute cameo onstage (in a ninety-minute play) and provides one of the most unexpected and unforgettable moments in the entire piece.
Posted by Kevin
at September 15, 2008 7:20 PM
comment #11
janee
says ...
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Posted by janee
at May 18, 2011 2:44 AM