Doubt

I finally saw Doubt after having read about it, seeing actor interviews about it, and catching the Oscar hype. etc. So of course that colors the way you see a movie. Also, I watched it with my Catholic parents, coloring the view even further. My dad's reaction was, "Is this all it is about?" My mom hated that one of her favorite actresses, Meryl Streep, played such a negative character. Besides my mom enjoying some of the music (she sang along to a favorite hymn: "Holy God, We Praise my Name") and thinking that they did show a good side to the Catholic church in the movie -- we don't see the stereotypically awful harsh world of the Catholic church that is often portrayed in the movies -- she got bored with it. Indeed it was slow. The movie seemed like a stage play that maybe should have stayed on stage. Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams were also very good in the movie. Hoffman's homilies were probably some of the more interesting parts of the movie. And the part that is in doubt? Well, it seemed kind of ridiculous in the end. It seemed like a nun who is always looking for evil and when not finding proof of it, invents it.

Jane Rules Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey has always been my least favorite Jane Austen. In it's favor last night's PBS version had a cute Katherine Moreland, a charming George Tilney, and an imposing castle. Both Persuasion and Northanger Abbey move at a quick pace and are likable, but I didn't feel like I got to know the great quirky side characters that make Jane Austen so great.

This weekend I also saw Savages with Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. It's about a brother and sister who have to care for their ailing father. The previews made this move seem whimsical and charming, so I was not expecting it to be as grim as it was. I think it's going to be one of those films that needs mulling over.

Last I saw the A&E miniseries about Charles II called The Last King with Rufus Sewell as Charles. It's a bit of a boddice ripper, but those who like movies about the English monarchy will like it, I think.