Directed by Stephen Frears, the film stars Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. Based on a true story, the film tells of down-on-his-luck journalist Martin Sixsmith (Coogan) who, when in between jobs, stumbles upon the story of a lifetime. He meets Philomena Lee (Dench), a "little old Irish lady," who was forced to give her son up for adoption in the 1950s. At the time, and out-of-wedlock baby was cause for disgrace, so she worked as a virtual slave at an abbey in order to "atone for her sins."On her son's fiftieth birthday, she decides to track him down. The quest takes Martin and Philomena to Washington, D.C., where she learns of her son's fate, with many shocking twists and turns along the way. The film is, at the same time, hilarious and heartbreaking. Often, performances that lean towards subtlety are overlooked in favor of the more flashy ones, so it is really wonderful to see Dench being honored for a performance that was nothing short of amazing. I could feel her joy and her pain simply by watching her. Coogan, who also co-wrote, is wonderful, too. His script is well-paced and well-written. I guess one could call it the surprise of awards season, but all recognition is deserved. This film works on almost all levels, and exceeded my expectations.
Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A
No comments:
Post a Comment