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Rating: Today, at the multiplex where I'm now a regular, they were showing "The Wrestler" and "Doubt" at the same time. Since everyone speaks well of The Wrestler, I decided to be a nonconformist, once again.
New York, 1960s. At a Catholic school in a part of the Bronx populated by Italian and Irish immigrants, the school's headmistress, Mother Aloysius, suspects Father Flynn, her superior, of having an "interest" (to put it mildly) in one of her students, specifically the first black student admitted to the school, who is isolated by the others and sees the Father as a paternal figure.
The story revolves around this doubt concerning the nature of the relationship between the two, with peaks of pathos during dialogues that occur towards the end of the film between the Headmistress and the boy's mother and between the Headmistress herself and Father Flynn.
The film's apparent goal is to convey Mother Aloysius's doubt to us. This intent absolutely did not reach the viewer, as the emotions are not conveyed through any introspection. An internal point of view is adopted almost never (except for the teacher of the black student’s class), and the doubt is not instilled in our thoughts.
But this external view offers us other opportunities. The ideological clash between the ultraconservative headmistress and the progressive priest is not influenced by a preferential viewpoint, which makes it even more compelling.
Meryl Streep returns to more serious cinema after the Abba experience in "Mamma Mia" with the role of the Headmistress, which she plays perfectly (as in "The Devil Wears Prada"...). Philip Seymour Hoffman also performed excellently, but at times, it's unclear if his facial expressions are intentional or the result of an effort in the restroom. Amy Adams, the teacher, is, on the other hand, exceptional. She manages to make us feel her emotions and her desire to distance herself from this murky affair.
The cinematography was pleasing yet unconvincing: some beautiful shots, well-chosen, but the rest are clichés.
The plot suggested a remarkable film, but what resulted was a film among many, with few high points and much mediocrity.
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