Philomena (2013)
Certified: 12A
Duration: 95 minutes
Directed by: Stephen Frears
Starring: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Mare Winningham, Anna Maxwell Martin, Michelle Fairley, Ruth McCabe, Barbara Jefford, Peter Hermann, Simone Lahbib, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Amy McAllister, Cathy Belton
KRS release
Martin Sixmith (Steve Coogan) is at a loss as regards his future career path. He has just lost his job in public relations and is thinking about writing a book about Russia and its history. He does not like stories of human interest but then he comes across the story of Philomena Lee (Judi Dench) and everything changes.
The story of a woman who gave birth in a convent 50 years ago in Catholic Ireland, when she was still a teen, and who then had to place the baby in the adoption system, is too good to dismiss.
When he meets her, she tells him about her youth in Ireland. After a dalliance with a young boy, she (Sophie Kennedy Clark) gets pregnant, and gives birth to a baby in the convent of Roscrea. She calls him Anthony. As part of her penance, the nuns had instructed her to wash their laundry but she could still see the boy. After some time, a rich family adopted Anthony and from that time onwards, she no longer had any news of him.
Thus Martin starts searching for Philomena’s son. This leads him first to the convent where the adoption records had been lost in a fire and, later on, to the US. During their journey, the two learn a lot about themselves.
Already showered with various awards and nominations, including three Golden Globe nominations, Philomena is a class act that showcases how much Dench brings to a film and dominates it.
Based on Sixmith’s book The Lost Child of Philomena, it is both a social commentary and a heart-wrenching tale combined into one. The bringing together of Coogan and Dench with award-winning director Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons, The Queen) makes for compulsive viewing.
Cinema audiences who have seen and liked The Magdalene Sisters (2002) will find a lot to like here. It is probably the best British film of 2013.
It is probably the best British film of 2013
While the focus is primarily on Dench, Coogan is also worth noting. He not only turns in a crisp and vibrant performance, but he also co-wrote the script. 2013 has been quite a year for him – he delivered the entertaining The Look of Love, had voicing duties in Despicable Me 2 and co-wrote and starred in the action comedy Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa. Philomena is surely one of his career-defining films.
Tangible and heartfelt, the relationship between Dench and Coogan is infused with a quiet sense of anger. Her Philomena has been scarred by events and regrets eat at her; yet she is somehow at peace with herself and just wants closure.
Coogan’s character initially considers Philomena and her tear-jerking story as simply a way of making money. He looks down on her, but by the end, he sees her with different eyes and his transformation is very realistic and touching. Their screen time together gives the film its backbone.
Frears directs without unnecessary sugar-coating or puppet-style heart-wrenching strings. The more we look into the film and we partake in this voyage of discovery, the more we realise it is about forgiveness, and herein lies Philomena’s strength.