Doubt was underwhelming. I hated it within the first twenty minutes, but my opinion softened as I watched some good performances over the course of the film's duration. Unfortunately, my strong negative reaction, including lots of ideas to write about, was also washed away and I found myself left feeling ambivalent at best. I don't have anything to write unless someone really wants to press me on some or another issue. I don't think that the film is nearly as provocative as it thinks it is.
Synechdoche, New York, also starring Hoffman, certainly had more to communicate about certainty and doubt in any small scene than the entirety of Doubt.
It's most disappointing because Shanley is the guy who wrote and directed Joe Versus the Volcano, which was a major movie of my childhood.
1 comment:
What a waste of great performances and cinematography. They chose this wonderful set, menacing and still strangely welcoming. Unfortunately, they throw in the most cliche hot button catholic issue, open up their mouths as wide as they can go and say nothing.
I agree with you about "Network" and the "Graduate." I mostly agree with you on "MASH" although the final thirty minutes fall apart perfectly. I also agree that "Butch Cassidy" is pleasant if not overrated. "Bonnie and Clyde" however is a great movie that has the misfortune of being called a "great movie" by everyone including me. Arthur Penn is a weathered director that was twenty years older than Malick. Badlands" came out six years after "Bonnie and Clyde" and the two represent a passing of the baton, not a rivalry. I love Malick and "Badlands" is a seminal film that often gets overlooked, so I'll take your "Badlands" and keep my "Bonnie and Clyde."
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