Doubt – DVD Review

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Solid performances and an extraordinary cast are the best ways to describe Doubt. While the pace slows at times, the energy and passion that Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!, Lions for Lambs), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Twister, Mission: Impossible III), Amy Adams (Enchanted), and Viola Davis (State of Play, Madea Goes to Jail)bring to the screen make one sit up and take notice.

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Based on a play written by John Patrick Shanley (who wrote and directed the film), there are several scenes that I could see working better on the stage in terms of their staging and pace. This is a dialogue-heavy film, so those looking for chase sequences, gun fights, and lots of half-naked ladies should look elsewhere.

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If you are a fan of quality screen acting by some of today’s top actors and actresses, look no further than Doubt. There’s a reason Streep, Hoffman, Adams, and Davis were all nominated for Academy Awards.

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A look at the special features leave little doubt (ha ha) that those involved had a shared passion for the project. The bonus features, along with audio commentary by writer/director Shanley, include:

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Doubt: From Stage to Screen

Interviews with the cast and director about taking the Pulitzer Prize winning play from Broadway to the movie screen.

The Cast of Doubt

A group interview with the four primary cast members conducted by Entertainment Weekly’s Dave Karger.

Scoring Doubt

The complexities and intricacies of scoring a psychologically dense film like Doubt are explored with interviews with John Patrick Shanley and composer Howard Shore.

The Sisters of Charity

An inside look at the Sisters of Charity with the real nuns who inspired the characters played by Amy Adams and Meryl Streep.

I highly recommend Doubt to anyone who wishes to not only see great acting but wants to be challenged on an intellectual and emotional level rarely reached by films today. A.

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