Martin Sixsmith, a BBC reporter, has just been laid off from his job, leaving disgraced for unfair allegations. Unsure where to go from here, Martin stumbles across the story of Philomena Lee. Philomena, a devout catholic, had her son taken away from her years ago by the catholic church due to being out of wedlock. Martin sets out to help Philomena track down her sun while simultaneously confronting the catholic church for their harsh treatment the only way he knows how, publishing Philomena's story. Stephen Frear's Philomena is a unbelievable true story and touching film that manages to balance comedy and deeper resonance effectively. There are certainly moments of over-sentimentality but by-and-large the film manages to avoid these moments and provide a story that's not self-indulgent or cheap but heartfelt. What is probably the most interesting aspect of Philomena is its seething commentary of the catholic church's practices when it comes to pre-marital sex. The details of this true story are disheartening, and Philomena holds nothing back from exposing these horrible practices. Thankfully, Philomena doesn't demonize religion as a whole but just these organized institutions that attempt to police everyone when it comes to faith and religion. Judy Dench does a good job but the film's strength lies in the pairing of her with Steve Coogan. These two characters work extremely well together, with Coogan's swarmy, cynical character playing perfectly off of Philomena's kind, sweet, and slightly niave character. Like any good pairing, the two characters each become better people thanks to their relationship, with Martin learning to be less cynical because of it.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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