Reel Brief: Doubting a Millionaire

I saw both of these a few weeks ago but never got around to posting my thoughts, so here they are.
Slumdog Millionaire ~ B+
Slumdog Millionaire is a vibrant ode to life, love, and everything that brings us all together. Kudos to the remarkable direction from the always offbeat Danny Boyle, who had the courage to shoot this movie on location in Mumbai without big stars or studios.
The film utilizes a unique method of piecing the story together, starting with Jamal being accused of cheating. As he explains how he got the answers to the questions, we see glimpses of his perilous life journey. It makes clever connections between his experiences and questions on the show. Along the way, it shines a light on the grim conditions of the slums of India. This kind of story-telling immediately pulls you in. Even though you know the outcome, you're still sitting on the edge of your seat in suspense, rooting for the protagonist through every heart-pounding sequence. Unfortunately, with this type of storytelling, the screenplay was hard to follow at certain points. Also, there could have been better character development and continuity between scenes. A.R. Rahman's colorful score showcases rhythmic Indian melodies.
I hate to say it, but critics were right: to me, it read too much like a fairy tale, happy endings all around, coincidences too good to be true. I know that's pretty much the point of the film, but for some reason, that was the biggest part that slightly bothered me. I was hoping it could impact me more in that regard. It's hard to explain; I want to say it's a bit overrated, but that may be too harsh. Of course, another reason people are quick to jump on the Slumdog bandwagon is because amid the economic crisis, this feel-good, uplifting cinematic experience is sweeping the globe. Even though it probably doesn't deserve every "Best" citation this year, Slumdog Millionaire is still an excellent flick that will surely excite all audiences.

Doubt ~ B
Doubt is literally an acting masterclass, featuring the expected fireworks from the talented cast: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and stage veteran Viola Davis. The quartet, for the most part, balances the fine line between forcing too many histrionic tricks and reducing the characters to simple caricatures.
Streep, never one to disappoint, plays an extremely judgmental, almost unreasonable domineering figure and captures her strong willpower and defenses. Hoffman, although nowhere as nuanced as his brilliant, Oscar-winning portrayal in Capote, delivers a commendable performance as he battles and counteracts the nun who refuses to believe anything he says and does not give into his attempts to calm her. Both never back down and shift the alliances of the audience back and forth throughout the film. The duo dominates icy confrontations, making the momentous tension palpable and revealing their characters' conflicting ideologies. Adams represents "the voice of the audience", wavering between the two perspectives, unsure of what to believe. She does a fine job with her limited role as an innocent novice. Davis is absolutely sensational, especially opposite the mighty Meryl. She makes an amazing impact as Mrs. Muller, the determined mother of the potentially abused student. In just one scene, she haunts you, moves you, and brings yet another strong viewpoint into the story.
John Patrick Shanley's screenplay immediately puts across the provocative questions and themes and urges the audience to think and judge just as the characters must. In the process, it clearly puts the viewer in suspicion. Despite his brilliant writing, Shanley is ultimately an ineffective director. It almost seemed like the actors were directing themselves, and besides their solid performances, the rest of the film felt...blah. Nothing really noteworthy stood out, and that may be the reason why the film has received a lot of backlash from fans of Shanley's original Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning play. I have not seen it, but I can see why the film didn't play to the tastes of theater lovers. The technical aspects were rather shabby, even Roger Deakins' cinematography. In some respects, the crooked angles symbolized the way each character perceived one another, but as a whole, it just seemed a little odd. Overall, Doubt is an enigmatic story with an actor's showcase and nothing more.