Philomena (2013) Directed by Stephen Frears. Starring: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, & Sophie Kennedy Clark. IMDB says: “A world-weary political journalist picks up the story of a woman’s search for her son, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent.”
Philomena tells the story of Philomena Lee, an Irish Catholic who became pregnant before marriage and was forced to turn to her town’s convent for help. As part of the agreement, she gave the baby up for adoption and signed away all rights as a parent while she worked in the convent to repay the Nuns for taking her in. Fifty years pass as she wrestles with the idea of whether or not she wants to break her word and begin to search for her son. Eventually she decides to begin an attempt and informs her daughter that she has a brother.
Around this time, Martin Sixsmith has just lost his job in the British Labour Department and is looking for a project. He thinks about writing a book. After meeting Philomena’s daughter at a party, and some consideration, he agrees to help Philomena find her son in exchange for being able to write the story of their experience.
This movie is really fantastically well written and well acted. Both Judi Dench and Steve Coogan are amazing. Their roles are probably the best I’ve ever seen them in. They both contributed to some of the raw feelings that this film offers by playing believable versions of the real life Philomena and Sixsmith. Judi Dench is always wonderful, but it was very interesting to see Coogan do something this serious.
The progression of the story is close to perfect. The pacing of the story adds a lot to the impact of the film. It was easy to sense the feelings of the audience as we watched the film, so I believe that the story will have a hold on most people that see it. While the story doesn’t do much twist-and-turn, it will most likely have the most resonance with people who aren’t familiar with the book. I would easily recommend this movie people that I usually wouldn’t expect to be interested in this sort of dramatic movie.
Philomena is an extraordinarily heartbreaking film that balances the dark realities of a brave woman’s life with a sentimental humor that keeps things just light enough. Towards the beginning of this film Philomena Lee tells the tale of her brutal separation from her two-year-old child while being held at a convent as a teenage mother and laborer for nuns. Her son was adopted by Americans and she never really had the opportunity or power to track him down. When she finally realizes that she doesn’t have much time left if she’s ever going to do it, she is joined by Martin Sixsmith to uncover the truth of her long lost son.
This is a film that I’m sure would work best going in as blindly as possible, because this true life story is almost unbelievable. From the fascinating discoveries about both her son and the convent who had given him away, there are some moments that will knock you out of your seat. At least I found myself gasping and crying from moment to moment. Dench and Coogan make a perfect pairing, and their characters’ personalities collide delightfully. Philomena being a devout Catholic and Sixsmith being an unapologetic atheist bring another level to this film that manages to give credence to both sides. Whether it’s your faith in God or in people, there’s something interesting to be found in this story and what you take away from it.
I have to rank this up fairly close to Short Term 12 as a film that accomplishes a compelling personal resonance that you’ll have a difficult time shaking.
