Doubt

Written and directed by John Patrick Shanley

****

A tough New York school principal fears one of her most vulnerable students may be the target of a predator.  Determined to protect him, she confronts her suspect: but this is 1964, and not only is the principal female, she is a nun of the Roman Catholic Church and accusing the universally admired school priest.

Facing off against Meryl Streep's steely-eyed Sister Aloysius, jovial Father Flynn (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) proves a strong adversary.  Naïve young Sister James (Amy Adams) is drawn into the argument, and wavers between the evidence of her own eyes and her natural inability to believe the worst.

Skilfully insinuating unease and uncertainty into the minds of the audience, the film proves its point: doubt is an exceptionally strong force.  Searching for the truth, the film journeys through a huge array of thematic considerations – race, gender, religion and morality are all called into question, and our opinions and perceptions seesaw in the balance.  By the time the credits roll, it’s rather difficult to know what to believe.

Writer-director John Patrick Shanley has brilliantly adapted his own Pulitzer Prize winning play for the movies.  The bleak streetscapes and cramped interiors take on emotional significance as fireworks erupt between the leads.  Although Streep has been getting the accolades, it’s actually not one of her best efforts.  It’s Hoffman who shines, alternately uncomfortably slimy and radiating with innocently righteous anger, making the scenes between the two leads sizzle.

Doubt is not action-packed, but movie-goers who like a puzzle will find it gripping and rewarding.  It’s featured heavily in nominations this awards season, and will almost certainly make an appearance at the Oscars in February.* 

This review was originally written for an online magazine, and is republished with permission.

* Postscript: Doubt was indeed represented at the Oscars, with five nominations in acting and writing - but no wins.

Suddenly

Directed by Johan Brisinger
Written by Johan Brisinger and Mikael Bengtsson

****
Complicated relationships are explored in this beautifully paced drama, in which a father and his oldest son must cope with the sudden loss of half their family.

We are briefly introduced to the family of four before the car crash which claims the lives of the mother and youngest son.  The accident is not dwelled on, but serves as a buffer between the bustling normality of that morning and the severe contrast we discover nearly a year later.

Seventeen year old Jonas has been left scarred and limping, and exists in shadowy isolation, unable to talk to his father – or anyone else.  Lars is physically healthy, but cannot cope with his grief and refuses to speak about the missing members of the family.

After a transparent suicide attempt, the two journey to their family’s summer house on an island off the Swedish coast.  Slowly beginning to interact with members of the community, Lars and Jonas make separate, sometimes shocking, attempts to heal and become a functioning unit once more.

So far, so melodramatic – but Suddenly (Underbara Älskade) easily avoids the trap of sentimentality.  The film has a poetic feel, and the stunning Swedish scenery and quality acting lift it above the ordinary.  Michael Nyqvist, a veteran of Swedish cinema, delivers a note perfect performance, managing to make us care for Lars even at his self-destructive worst.  The expressive Anastasios Soulis, a young actor of Finnish and Greek heritage (reportedly fluent in Swedish, Finnish, Greek and English!) is an absolute gem as Jonas, who talks tough but can’t hide the hurt in his eyes.

Honest and highly watchable, the film remained in the top ten at the Swedish Box Office for fifteen weeks, and received people’s choice awards at several European film festivals – with good reason.

This review was originally written for an online magazine, and is republished with permission.

The Visitor

Written and directed by Thomas McCarthy

****

Walter Vale is a middle aged college professor, a greying, invisible nobody who delivers lectures in a monotone and utterly neglects his students.  Although he’s living an aimless, solitary life and appears to have given up on just about everything, there’s still a little fight left in him: he’s stubbornly, hopelessly trying to learn the piano.

Trapped into travelling to New York to attend a conference, Walter (Richard Jenkins, in a standout performance) reluctantly returns to his long vacant New York apartment, where a dramatic encounter with a young immigrant couple gradually changes his entire outlook on life.

As Walter’s unlikely friendship with talented musician Tarek progresses, even the young man’s initially disapproving girlfriend Zainab begins to open up.  With their help Walter is able to take an interest in life again – but his newfound fulfilment is tested in unexpected ways when Tarek is abrubtly arrested as an illegal immigrant, and his worried mother and girlfriend are unable to visit him.

The strength of The Visitor is its focus on the characters.  By making it a story about individuals rather than a statement about US immigration services, we’re engrossed in people’s reactions to the situation.  Writer/director Tom McCarthy hopes it will humanise the problem for US audiences, since “we’re not just talking about issues… we’re talking about human beings.”

An absorbing tale of cultural collisions, music, love, and second chances, The Visitor is by turns thoughtful, wistful, funny, awkward, and romantic.  It’s an indictment on anyone who goes through their day without thinking about others, and it’s a must see for anyone in search of a film capable of provoking and entertaining at the same time.

This review was originally written for an online magazine, and is republished with permission.