movies

One can see the bones of a riveting play, but with Howard Shore and Roger Deakins, La Streep and Hoffman, I expected more from the film. Doubt indeed is rampant but except for one mot
á mot shout out between Streep and Hoffman I felt cheated that so little was made of the enormity of Father Flynn's suspected crime and the destructive crime of relentless character assassination perpetrated by Sister Aloysius'. No one committed suicide, ultimately Father Flynn did not have his career or reputation ruined. This was, in fact, nothing more than a story about unrequited gossip, and an unfulfilling one at that. So much gravitas without consequence to anyone we cared about, and consequences so unworthy of Aloysius' crime. The one stunning feature of the narrative was Sister Aloysius' audacity. Was her's the audacity of self righteous vanity or the audacity of righteous indignation and courage? Our courts tell us it's better to err on the side of innocence -- better to let one criminal go free than to convict one innocent man. But clearly Sister Aloysius saw herself above secular law and the laws of the church. Did she get just punishment for her vile Third Reich behavior? I doubt it. I had no pity for her tears in the end. Mental anguish for a deed of no consequence is hardly punishment at all. But the deed - relentless persecution without proof of crime - surely deserves more than what she got.

Just a note from faraway New York to say what a fine, insightful review this is. I haven't seen the movie yet, but am really curious about it, having seen the play and now the movie's actors talking to Charlie Rose on PBS.