I have discovered lately that I do not care for Meryl Streep when she plays optimistic, bubbly characters. Here she is perfect as the uptight, self-righteous nun who thinks she's shady dealings in the school where she works. Her hunch (and her faith) cannot be shaken, no matter how often people come against her arguing that there's no proof. Her character is fascinating.
Is this story pro-faith? Pro-doubt? Pro-ambiguity of life? I'm not even entirely sure. I am a Christian but also a huge fan of doubt and questioning and reexamining your faith and your beliefs constantly. Doubt never hurts God. He's big enough to handle this. And sometimes when we are so completely gung-ho about it, as we see in this film, things go wrong. (I would like to quickly stress, although this is becoming a religious blog rather than a film review- the key is to not stay in doubt. Doubt until you get an acceptable answer, and let that answer your questions. You don't need to be questioning forever when an answer is in front of you.)
All the supporting actors do a phenomenal job. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is an incredibly likeable character, but as the accusations come up, his jovial expression seems more sinister. Amy Adams and Viola Davis both play their very different roles well. Viola Davis was extremely convincing as the mother who was so desperate to give her son a better life overall, she was even willing to sacrifice his immediate safety.
Great acting, great dialogue, intriguing story... Definitely worth watching. 4.5 stars.
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