Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Doubt

I haven't yet seen the movie adaption of Doubt, starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffmann (and Amy Adams! and Viola Davis!) and while the trailer was (I thought) a disaster, the movie has generated decent reviews.

Although as someone who saw the play (not however with Cherry Jones and Brian F. O'Brynne who had moved on by then; Eileen Atkins had taken on the mantle of Sister Aloysius) what bothers me is the casting of Philip Seymour Hoffmann. Granted, Hoffmann is a great actor -- perhaps our very best -- but doesn't the whole play turn on the premise that Father Flynn looks good, is universally liked and loved (except perhaps by Sister Aloysius) but could be, in fact, a monster? Forgive me, but Hoffmann looks freaky with his wasted puffed-up cheeks and bloodshot eyes -- a textbook child molester, almost. Who wouldn't think the worst of him? Can Doubt survive Hoffmann's looks?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ok so well I saw the movie, it wasnt that bad, infact I personally feel it was very good, everyone acted well, about the choice of Hoffman as the Father it wasnt bad, considering the black kid has no friends and its only the Father who comforts him, looks dont and wouldnt matter to the kid and that to me answers all questions. Amy Adams and Viola Davis were both incredible, Amy Adams is supposed to be innocent and even if she isnt supposed to be, she still does justice to her role for someone who hasnt either read the play or watched the play, because not everyone reads the book, so for someone who hasnt read the play the movie is really good.