PHILOMENA (2013) - ♦♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Stephen Frears

Written by - Jeff Pope, Steve Coogan (based on the book by Martin Sixsmith)

Starring - Judi Dench, Steve Coogan

"A down and out reporter comes across an Irish woman named Philomena whose son, who would now be fifty, was taken away from her by the Magdalene Sisters. He decides to write an article about her as he helps her trying to find him. The screenplay, based on a true story, is solid gold, with its perfectly timed balance of humour and drama. Furthermore, despite the fact that it deals with the heavy issue of a Catholic Church scandal, it also remains quite balanced in dealing with it from the two different perspectives of the lead characters on faith and spiritualism in general. The acing is masterful. Judi Dench stars as the titular character with a performance that is full of sensibility and humanity – it is arguably her best performance of all time, sweetly melancholic and humorous. Steve Coogan opposite her is the perfect disenchanted cynic – he also deserves praise for co-writing the screenplay and producing the film. All in all, Frears’ film is a crowd pleaser but one full of meaning and purpose which aims to achieve the prose that most of its kind fail to accomplish and is successful at doing just that."

Drama, UK/USA/France