Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Set in 1964 at St. Nicholas Church in the Bronx, Fr. Brendan Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is accused by principal Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep) of inappropriate conduct with 12-year-old Donald Miller (Joseph Foster), the school's first black student. Is Fr. Flynn's interest deviant or is he just looking out for the well being of a social outcast? John Patrick Shanley's Oscar-nominated scrip deals with truth, emotion, and belief, and asks if any decision is ever free from doubt.

The Catholic Church has received some well-deserved bad press over the past few years about abusive priests and the subsequent cover-ups that have occurred. Doubt tackles this issue head on with the suspicious behavior of Fr. Flynn and the determination of Sister Aloysius to get to the bottom of it. The performances are mind-blowing, and the Academy saw fit to hand out four acting nominations for Meryl Steep (Best Actress), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Best Supporting Actor), Amy Adams (Best Supporting Actress), and Viola Davis (Best Supporting Actress).

The 1.85:1 AVC encode isn't a cornucopia of color, but the subdued palette fits the dour subject matter. Black levels are inky and never crushed, revealing every fiber in the nuns' habits. Detail is very strong with exceptional clarity in both the foregrounds and backgrounds, although I noticed some occasional edge-halos around dark objects with bright backgrounds. Flesh tones are accurate and reveal every facial pore, showing no signs of excessive DNR (digital noise reduction).

The dialog-rich DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack is impressive in its own right, but its subdued nature doesn't lend itself to home-theater demos. The surround speakers are rarely used other than to convey ambience or the occasional rustle of wind and rain, which also wakes up the subwoofer when the thunder kicks in. The sound design is well done, especially during the church sequences, with a slight echo on Hoffman's sermon, giving the illusion of sitting in a pew—and growing up Catholic, I've been in my fair share.

The supplements include an informative audio commentary by writer/director John Patrick Shanley and four behind-the-scenes featurettes (all in HD), three of which look at adapting the stage play to the big screen, casting the production, and the score. The fourth is a short interview with four nuns discussing the intricacies of their chosen vocation.

Doubt is a powerful yet disturbing film that tackles a difficult subject matter. The performances are top-notch and the presentation on Blu-ray is very good, but I'm not sure the film lends itself to multiple viewings, so I have reservations recommending anything other than a rental.

Release Date: April 7, 2009
Studio: Miramax/Disney

Movie: 8/10
Picture: 9/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics