Doubt (2008) Dir: John Patrick Shanley

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I had been eyeing up this intriguing looking mystery thriller, from director John Patrick Shanley, for a little while, by the time I got around to watching it. It's not a film I've ever heard much about, and yet it maintains a fairly strong set of ratings from critics and audiences alike. As such, I think it was fair to say I expected a solid, if not spectacular, film.

At times, the film was incredibly tense, particularly during extended interactions between the two main figures of interest in the film. A lot of the suspense was indeed created through the dialogue, which I found very succinct and direct, without being too on-the-nose. There were some incredibly well acted scenes too. The confrontations between Streep and Davis, and Streep and Hoffman, were especially masterful, to my mind.

It definitely played like a film adapted from a stageplay, which, admittedly, I didn't mind at all. The relatively insular nature of the narrative allowed for very focused and direct storytelling, which in turn meant that a lot of the focus was on the character interactions and development. I think the climactic scenes of the film were brilliant, and had me heavily invested. I absolutely loved the final scene of the film; it was memorable, it was clever, and it was rich in irony.

All four key actors in the film were nominated for Oscars in their respective categories, and rightly so. The acting was exceptional across the board. Of the four key actors, I thought that Meryl Streep was the strongest, which is testament to just how good she is as an actress, because there was some stiff competition. Her character work was sublime, and the interactions she had with her co-stars were utterly riveting.

The late Philip Seymour Hoffman brought his familiar blend of acting brilliance to the fore, in what had to be one of his greatest performances. His innate ability to intensify his acting in the blink of an eye was incredible. Also impressive, though to a slightly lesser degree, were Amy Adams and, despite the brevity of her role; Viola Davis. I loved both of their performances a lot, although, I couldn't quite put them on the same level as the other two. Either way, all four of them were tremendous.

Overall, I ended up being very glad that I watched this understated thriller. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, but I was very happy to find out just how good this film was. The immense level of the four main acting performances in this film elevated it to something quite special, at points, especially in the final thirty-or-so minutes. This is a must-watch for people who enjoy stageplays and stageplay adaptations - it's too good to miss.