DVD Recommendation: "Doubt" (2008) - Starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman

I recently had the opportunity to watch the 2008 movie Doubt, which is available on DVD and Blu-ray, for the first time since its theatrical debut. Written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, the film details the conflict between Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) at a New York Catholic school. Aloysius suspects that Flynn is having an inappropriate relationship with a male student and goes to great lengths to try to make him admit the alleged indiscretion. The scenes featuring Streep and Hoffman going head to head are memorable, as are the supporting characters played by Amy Adams, as Sister James, and Viola Davis, as Mrs. Miller. The film is the epitome of a master class in acting. 

You can read my original review of the film here.

Blu-ray Spotlight: "Cold Mountain" (2003) - Starring Nicole Kidman and Jude Law

The late, great Anthony Minghella directed and wrote the screenplay, which is based on the book by Charles Frazier, for the epic love story Cold Mountain. Mingehlla also helmed The Talented Mr. Ripley, one of my all-time favorite films, and Cold Mountain shares many of the same qualities with that effort, including a stellar cast, incredible cinematography, superb music, and of course, outstanding writing and direction.

Cold Mountain is told in flashbacks and is set during the early days of the Civil War in North Carolina, where a preacher's daughter, Ada Monroe (Nicole Kidman), falls for a carpenter, W.P. Inman (Jude Law). Their time together is short, as the war begins and Inman goes off to fight with the Confederate army. However, he is seriously injured in battle and is sent to convalesce at a military hospital. Despite his loyalty to the army, Inman is troubled by Ada's seemingly difficult plight back home, which he learns from one of her many letters that is delivered to him. As a result, he decides to desert the army and travel the long road home to be with and help his love. However, his journey is complicated by encounters with a weaselly preacher, a young woman with a sick child, and a serious illness.

Back at Cold Mountain, Ada's father, Reverend Monroe (Donald Sutherland), has passed away and she struggles with taking care of the land and making ends meet. She is determined to keep the land and soon secures the assistance of the unorthodox Ruby Thewes (Renee Zellweger), whose strength of character is exactly what Ada needs to set things right again. However, members of the Confederate Home Guard, led by Teague (Ray Winstone), make things difficult for the residents of Cold Mountain and often resort to vicious tactics to get what they want. Teague is determined to obtain Ada's land because it once belonged to his family, but she refuses to sell to him. Ruby's father, Stobrod (Brendan Gleeson), and his friends soon arrive and prove to be valuable to both Ada and Ruby, but after an altercation with Teague and his men, all of the their lives are placed in danger, as Inman slowly makes his way back.

In addition to the aforementioned actors, the cast also includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Baker, Eileen Atkins, Giovanni Ribisi, Emily Deschanel, Jack White, Ethan Suplee, Cillian Murphy, Natalie Portman and Charlie Hunnam. The extraordinary cast is one of the finest ever assembled for a motion picture and they conspire to make Cold Mountain one of the best films I have ever seen. As much as I enjoy watching the film, it is a reminder of the loss of Anthony Mingehlla, who I am sure had many more great projects to contribute. Minghella passed away in 2008 from a hemorrhage following cancer surgery.  

The Blu-ray extras include:
Audio Commentary from Anthony Minghella
Deleted Scenes
Two featurettes; Climbing Cold Mountain and A Journey to Cold Mountain
Sacred Harp History
The Words and Music of Cold Mountain - A Royce Hall Special

Movie Snapshot: "A Late Quartet" - Starring Christopher Walken

Play classical music. Insert melodramatic plot twist. Rinse and repeat. A Late Quartet stars Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Mark Ivanir, as a string quartet celebrating their 25th anniversary, while also dealing with a series of personal setbacks that may threaten their future. Cellist Peter Mitchell (Walken) experiences weakness in his left hand which may signal the onset of Parkinson's disease, married couple Robert (Hoffman) and Juliette (Keener) have an unexpected argument that bruises Robert's ego and leads to a poor decision on his part, and Daniel (Ivanir) falls in love with someone close to the group, which causes even more problems among the quartet.

When the focus is on the music and the Fugue quartet practices for Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131, the film works well. The four lead actors look natural as musicians, although the music viewers hear is by the Brentano String Quartet, and they realistically behave as though they have known each other for many years. While it is important to explore characters, the screenplay, by Yaron Zilberman and Seth Grossman, gets bogged down in the sordid details of their personal lives of three of them. As a result, I did not particularly care for or about Robert, Juliette or Daniel, despite the performances from the aforementioned actors.

A Late Quartet is initially anchored by Peter's medical problems, which works well, courtesy of the understated and completely effective work from Walken. However, the film then loses momentum and focuses on the aforementioned sordid details of an affair and a love affair, neither of which ring true. Further problems result from a miscast and completely obnoxious supporting character. I also found myself losing interest intermittently throughout the film, especially when Walken, Keener and Hoffman are absent. My anticipation was high for A Late Quartet, but I was somewhat disappointed in the overall film. The talent is present to produce something memorable, but the execution is lacking.

"The Master" - Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix

Photo Credit: The Weinstein Company

Individuals with a troubled past and a fractured family tend to be easy targets for cult leaders. After all, they are longing for someone to care about them and perhaps explain why their life has been so tough. Is it their own fault, or just God's will? Those lost children, of any age, jump at the kindness and attention that can be bestowed upon them by the crafty cult members who are looking to garner an army of supporters in order to build their organization. This is the set-up for writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film The Master, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Phoenix portrays Freddie Quell, a soldier returning from the second World War, who is battling post traumatic stress disorder and a sex addiction. His father has passed away and his mother is apparently confined to an institution. His only other close familial tie is to his aunt, but the nature of their relationship is unhealthy, to say the least. Freddie did have a girlfriend, but he did not bother to contact her when he came home from the war. So, he is alone and drifting until he stows away on a boat owned by Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman), who offers Freddie a place to stay and speaks to him about his organization, known as "The Cause." Dodd appears to like Freddie, but he may just see an easily manipulated young man who is lost in every sense of the word. Freddie also happens to be an alcoholic and can become violent in an instant. In other words, he needs help and Dodd seems eager to be there for him.

Dodd can offer Freddie guidance and care for his everyday needs and the price is simple loyalty, which Freddie readily gives. He hangs on Dodd's every word, even when others within "The Cause" understand that Dodd is making things up as he goes along. Freddie even exacts physical revenge on those who question his "master" and his sometimes outrageous claims. Eventually, Dodd is arrested for dispensing medication without a license. During the arrest, Freddie attacks several officers and is also taken away. After being thrown in jail, Freddie has a meltdown and a serious argument with Dodd ensues. Freddie accuses him of lying and they have a falling out. However, all is forgiven when Freddie returns to the home of one of Dodd's supporters, as they aggressively embrace each other, which may lead viewers to wonder what type of relationship the two of them actually share. It appears to be far stronger than just a teacher and a student or even close friends.

Freddie's behavior, including his excessive drinking do not go unnoticed by others in "The Cause" and he is encouraged to clean himself up if he intends to stay. He promises to do just that, but soon falls back into his old ways. Instead of finding salvation, Freddie continues to become more disillusioned and lost during his time with Dodd, but he really does not seem to fit in anywhere. He needs help, but is not getting it from "The Cause," which further complicates his relationship with Dodd and prompts him to make a change.

The performances by Hoffman and Phoenix buoy The Master, but I am not sure if I understand what the film is really about. It appears to be a character study of two unique individuals and not necessarily a cautionary tale of the repercussions of being a cult member. In fact, I am not sure if the true purpose of "The Cause" is ever discussed in detail. Yes, Dodd is in charge and most everyone goes along with what he says, but what is he really offering his members, other than a place to stay and food to eat? When they hang on his every word and believe everything he says, Dodd is able to manipulate them with lies and false promises and thus takes away their free will. I wish more time would have been devoted to explaining the meaning of "The Cause" and why so many members stuck around.

As good as the performances are, they cannot sustain a two plus hour film, which seems to meander around. While the subject matter is thought provoking, it is also very dark and depressing, which is not easy to watch. Even though I wanted Freddie to get the help he desperately needed, he is unlikable, as is Dodd, so it is difficult to find anyone to root for or really care about. To make matters worse, both characters continue to hurt others as the film goes along, making them both even less appealing.

The talented supporting cast, including Amy Adams, Laura Dern and Jesse Plemmons (Friday Night Lights), are not used enough or to their full potential. I also felt rather cheated with how The Master concludes, as I expected more resolution between the lead characters. In any event, the film is worth seeing for the performances and the technical aspects, including the top notch cinematography, but do not expect to be enlightened by Paul Thomas Anderson's screenplay.

The Master is still playing in limited release.