I Make Movie Review :Doubting "Doubt"

So maybe I had my expectations too high. Okay, actually, with Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman sharing the screen, the Second Coming couldn't have met my expectations. What's so disappointing about "Doubt"-what is not a half-bad movie, mind you-is that the two's pairing is not as orgasmic and earth-shakingly as many imagined it would be-and the sad part is, it isn't the thespians fault. As members of the clergy in a power struggle concerning the well being of a 60's Catholic schools first black student, the two actors adapt handsomely crafted Bronx accents and steely stares. When the two clash (as they do on a handful of occasions), you sense that these two actors were excited to tear into the raw meat of such a beefy story. The problem is, director John Patrick Shanley (who directed from his own Broadway play), hasn't provided said meat for said Oscar-winners to munch on. Afraid that his little play won't live up to the big screen, Shanley makes the fatal mistake of slicing the careful structure of the story to ribbons and leaving the talented actors to sink their teeth into what little is left of his initially clever-sounding story idea-a sneaky bit of irony here, a fairly-strong line there. "Doubt" feels rushed, and we the audience never have a spare second to take sides or think about the goings-on. What remains is an unfocused string of well-acted, over-directed, and all too short scenes. Viola Davis, playing the mother of the abused boy, is getting all the Oscar buzz, but I truly am not feeling it. Instead, for moi at least, this film's saving grace is by and far Amy Adams. Playing an innocent young nun dragged into this mess, Adams seems almost eerily immersed in the part. She says more with a glance and a piece of gristle than the other actors manage to do with entire paragraphs of dialogue. When she finally does let loose, it's in front of Streep, and, against all odds, a twinkling of genuine emotion is brought out. In all fairness, this story is not an easy one to tell on film, and Shanley doesn't fail completely-his behind the scenes team is top-notch, and the final scene with Streep and Adams alone in a snow-covered garden is an indication of what could've been had Shanley sat back and allowed his actors to act. As it is, "Doubt" is never boring (even if it the pacing is blink-and-you'll-miss-it-fast) and the subject matter(handled evenly and tastefully I must say) leaves plenty of room for a truly fascinating after-movie debate. Ultimately, perhaps its appropriate that a movie about a guilt-based faith is both rewarding and frustrating in equal doses. B-