Doubt

The film, Doubt, based on the play of the same name written by John Patrick Shanley, tackles a controversial topic by shrouding it in layers of uncertainty and, of course, doubt. The storyline contrasts the dagger of suspicion against the presumption of innocence. Yet, by choosing such a button-pushing subject, the purported sexual abuse of an altar boy by a Catholic priest, the author casts illumination on his theme, while simultaneously introducing complexities that deflect from the central issue. Questions of race and motherhood, spreading an implication that the boy - and thereby accusing all such victims - brought the abuse upon himself.

"It's his character," the mother defends and lashes out in the same breath, "just leave it alone, let him graduate in six months."

This melodrama - unbelievable and socially unacceptable, yet tugging at threads of race and impoverished hope - highlights another problem with this story. It is a not a piece of fiction for fans of subtle intricate plots - no, the archetypes are front and center, the contrasts obvious, the dialogue rising to a crescendo at the end of every scene. The cold wind blows through doors and windows left ajar, a disapproving god chilling the hearts of his wayward servants, lost and full of doubt.

On the positive side, this filmic adaptation of the original play is visually stunning, making the most of the change in medium. And the acting is stellar - Meryl Streep inhabits the role of the morally superior nun with headstrong certainty (at least until the final scene), while Philip Seymour Hoffman portrays the priest with a believable combination of sanctimony and not-quite-innocent vulnerability.