Bluray Review: Doubt

Doubt
Written & Directed by: John Patrick Shanley
Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis

Bluray Specs:
1080p High Definition / 1.85:1
English 5.1 DTS-HD (48kHz/24bit) French 5.1 Dolby Digital
English SDH and Spanish Subtitles
Bonus Features: Commentary with Writer/Directer John Patrick Shanley, Doubt: From Stage To Screen, Scoring Doubt, The Cast of Doubt, The Sisters of Charity

Doubt is the five time Academy Award nominated film about a nun who suspects a priest of inappropriate behavior with a student. Don't be mistaken, this is not a film about abuse, nor is it about portraying a man as a monster. This is a film about certainties or what one woman believes to be certain even though those around her feel otherwise. Even though she herself may at some part of her, have her own doubts.

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I must say that when I saw the trailer for this film I was both intrigued and a little nervous. I was intrigued by the cast first of all. To me, Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman are among the best actors working today and to see the two of them together was exciting to say the least. I think the trailer may have given off a bit of melodrama that I feared might taint the movie. I wanted to see it, but I was nervous it might come across over the top for some reason.

This fear was unfounded and quickly dispelled as Doubt turned out to be one of the finest films I have seen in years. It is, in no uncertain terms, a perfect film. Perfectly crafted, brilliantly acted, flawless. I can list a hundred adjectives to describe it but it all boils down to the same thing, a masterpiece of film making.

Meryl Streep again shows off her chameleon like skills, slipping effortlessly into the role of the principal of a catholic school. She rules with an iron fist, keeping her emotions in check as everything she tries to do seems to be met with resistance or disbelief. When she gets information that a priest, played brilliantly by Philip Seymour Hoffman, may be acting inappropriately with a young student, she latches on to it with vicious certainty. It is as if she was waiting for exactly this so that she could rid her school of a man she just didn't seem to like, whether the accusation is true or not. It is an intense and deep performance.

The fact that everyone in the cast was nominated for Oscars (Viola Davis' amazing performance lasted about five minutes and she received a supporting actress nod) not too mention John Patrick Shanley's nomination for writing, is almost reason enough to check out Doubt. TO be honest, it's a bit of a travesty that this wasn't nominated for Best Picture while The Reader (review coming soon) was. Doubt is a far superior movie in every way possible. In fact, it is probably safely rooted in the number 2 slot of the year (Slumdog Millionaire would remain #1).

The bluray release of Doubt looks and sounds incredible. I can't really say much more than that. It's a pristine picture and crisp, clear sound that only elevates the experience of watching the film. My only complaint here are the special features.



The features are pretty much limited to featurettes. There are no deleted scenes, no script to screen comparison, nothing beyond the featurettes. I would have been thrilled to see the stage version included here just to compare the two pieces but that was not to be I guess.

To be honest, this movie doesn't need a lot of bells and whistles. Sure it'd be nice to see some more supplemental materials but in the end the film doesn't need them. It stands alone. It really is a perfect movie with an ending that is emotionally rich and while you may be left wondering, you will be positive that what you just saw was a work of art.

You hear the phrase "Must See" tossed around a lot by critics nowadays. I can tell you in the case of Doubt, it is a true statement.

Doubt is available on Bluray and DVD now. In the meantime, check out some videos from the release below.