Doubt

Real quick. The reasons why I don't love this movie.

1. Underdeveloped conflict/resolution: I knew coming in that the big questions about the Philip Seymour Hoffman character would remain unanswered. What I didn't see coming was a complete lack of resolution. There are no answers, just musings. The "climax" was completely weightless and didn't lead to any kind of satisfying conclusion.

2. Use of title in film: It's a rule people. You don't set aside scene after scene that has the actors saying the movie title. Do you have doubt? Why do we doubt? Doubt draws people together. Over and over again. Made me cringe. The only possible exception to this universal rule is the film "All About the Benjamins".

3. Meryl Streep: Not a fan. Never have been. Wouldn't have been a big deal except she ends up being the main character. And the biggest piece of character growth is supposedly hers at the end of the film. That scene was terrible. Character change is supposed to be organic, not unbelievable.

4. Short: Don't usually chide a film for being too short. Especially one that I was not particularly taken with. But the story was left too quickly. The change in Streep's character too abrupt. Certain characters are completely forgotten. Needed another 30 minutes to complete what it set out to do.

5. Too much praise: Trying to be as honest here. Too many people like it. I get nit-picky when a movie I don't love finds love at the hands of critics everywhere. I call it "Green Mile Syndrome". While I didn't initially hate the Green Mile, the adoration for it from every direction led me to become far more critical of it's construction and content. As a result, I really do hate it now. Seriously. Much like my disdain for horses. But that's a story for another day.

So there you have it. My oft flimsy reasoning for the dislike of Doubt. When I started writing this I actually liked the movie more than I do at this moment. What does that say about me?