Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt"
courtesy of Disney Home Entertainment
“Great Acting Without A Doubt”

You are never in doubt that there is great acting going on in the film, now on DVD, presentation of “Doubt.” John Patrick Shanley’s play “Doubt” won rave reviews and awards when it was presented on Broadway. Now Shanley has transferred his play to the big screen and has gathered together an impressive cast to tell his story. The result is a finely acted film that never captures the audience’s enthusiasm or understanding.

The time is 1964 and the setting is St Nicolas in the Bronx, a school ruled by Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep). One of her main teachers is Sister James (Amy Adams), a woman almost too sweet for the classroom. The head priest at the school is Father Flynn (Phillip Seymour Hoffman).

There is conflict growing between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn. She thinks he is too liberal for her school and also a threat to her power. When Sister James mentions one day that Father Flynn has been paying a lot of attention to Donald Miller (Joseph Foster), who is the school’s first black student, Sister Aloysius immediately becomes suspicious of his actions.

The movie develops into a war of words between the Head Sister and the Priest with only one capable of being the winner. The issue of whether or not the right one wins is the crux of the film.

The acting in this movie is awesome. Streep is at her persnickety best, pouncing on every word and turning it to her advantage. She is light years away from the role she had in “Mamma Mia” and uses this sister’s voice and movements to show the full range of her talent.

Adams is subdued and sweet as Sister James. She is the very definition of meekness. Every movement, every soft word underlines the basic goodness of this character. Viola Davis also has a good scene as Donald Miller’s mother. She has garnered some of the best reviews for her acting, which seems to consist of being able to talk and cry at the same time.

Hoffman is very good in his role of the priest but you wish that he had bigger scenes with which to work. The major battle scene between Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius is much too controlled for my appreciation. The audience needs a battle royal and it never comes.

The impact of the film, especially the ending, is confusion when deliberateness was needed. The movie feeds into the doubt but never gives a rational revelation of what actually occurred. Still the acting will make it a “must see” for many film fans.

When you watch the DVD of Jim Carrey’s “Yes Man” you get the feeling that with him everything old is new again. There is a feel about the movie that is so “Liar, Liar.” Still Jim Carrey is one of the funniest men alive and in a warm, funny film like “Yes Man” he wins the audience over just in the nick of time.

Carrey plays Carl Allen, a divorced man in a dead end job. He is so bored with his life and the world around him that he says no to everything. He doesn’t date; he doesn’t go out with his friends; he doesn’t aspire for a promotion in his job as a loan officer. He is a “no” man from beginning to end.

One day he meets his old friend Nick (John Michael Higgins) who talks him into attending a self help seminar of sorts. This “Say Yes” seminar is led by one Terrence Bundley (Terence Stamp). He makes a covenant with Carl that he has to say yes to everything in order to have good fortune. Carl agrees and starts saying yes right away. And sure enough his life changes for the better.

Saying yes to everything (“Yes Man”) and telling the truth in all things (“Liar, Liar”) are two sides of the same coin. At first this close connection is annoying, still slowly but surely the Carrey humor wears us down. Who can resist him when he is matched with Zooey Deshanel who plays his love interest Allison. Deshanel is such a gifted actress that she can hold her own with Carrey in any scene, and that is not an easy task.

Stamp is also very good as the guru of saying “yes.” He is only in a couple of scenes but he makes them work. Rhys Darby also has some good moments as Carl’s quirky boss. He is a bit bizarre but somehow he and his role fit into the film nicely.

The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and nudity.

Jim Carrey pulls out all the stops in “Yes Man” and if it were fresher material he would have a major hit on his hands. As is, the film seems to have gathered all the old Carrey movies together and squashed them into this one. It is still funny but it isn’t a new kind of funny. 

If you are a die hard Carrey fan you will love this movie as it is more of the same. But if you are looking for something a little bit fresh then this movie almost disappoints. Carrey pulls it out in the end but it is not a sure thing he is going to be able to.

You may already have a DVD copy of “No Country For Old Men” but the definitive DVD of this movie is now available. It is titled “No Country For Old Me – Collector’s Edition.” This one has the Academy Award winning movie PLUS an abundance of interviews with everyone from Tommy Lee Jones to the Coen Brothers. You also get a “Making of” special feature that takes you “behind the scenes.” 

There are other special features you will not want to miss. So pick up this new copy of the movie with all the extras. Remember it is titled “No Country For Old Men – Collector’s Edition.”

Kids seem to love musicals. Look at the current popularity of “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” It is chock full of songs. By that reasoning kids should also love the new DVD “My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Tigger, Pooh and a Musical Too.” This movie has seven original songs and they are all delightful.

So get this DVD for the kids and set their feet tapping and their voices singing as they laugh and enjoy “My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Tigger, Pooh and a Musical Too!” It is great fun for the entire family.

To wrap it all up there is another animated film for the family. This one is “Tales of Despereaux.” It is the story of a mouse (voiced by Matthew Broderick) who has Dumbo sized ears. He dreams of being a knight but this foolishness gets him banished from his home.

Eventually he gets the chance to show his bravery and rescue a princess. Who says dreams can’t come true! In this delightful movie they can. 

The movie also features the voices of Emma Watson, Stanley Tucci, Tracy Ullman, Dustin Hoffman and Kevin Kline among others. Plus the DVD has a full variety of special features. What a big treat for the family it is!
 

 

 

 

 

©2009 Jackie K. Cooper

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