Philomena (2013)

The Very Best

8.8

Movie

France, UK
English
Drama
2013
STEPHEN FREARS
Amber Batty, Anna Maxwell Martin, Barbara Jefford
98 min

8.8

Chayce

What it's about

A woman searches for her adult son, who was taken away from her decades ago when she was forced to live in a convent.

The take

An inspired by true events tale about an elderly Irish woman trying to find the child she was forced to give up many years earlier. Steve Coogan co-wrote the script and, though the base story is a tragic one, his special brand of very subtle, wry wit is apparent in the dialogue throughout. Judi Dench plays the mother who had kept her “sinful” past a secret for fifty years and, being Judi Dench, I don’t need to bother going on about her exemplary talent, suffice to say she’s charming beyond measure in the role. Steven Frears directs, as usual, deftly, and keeps the story compelling scene after scene, intensifying the emotions inherent to each, whether they be heart-warming, comedic, or outright enraging. Whoever decided to let Steve Coogan have his way with the script, it was a brave and wise choice and together this cast and crew have produced a wonderful and important piece of cinema.

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