Philomena is
directed by Stephen Frears (who brought us The Queen
in 2006) and his directorial style – understated, wry and relaxed –
allows the actors to really shine in the film. This room to act and
to truly discover their characters produces two fantastic
performances from Dench and Coogan. The film follows the true story
of Irish seventy-something Philomena Lee who, with the help of
journalist Martin Sixsmith (Coogan), sets out to find her child who
was put up for adoption by nuns in 1950's Ireland. Their search leads
them to America, where the two develop an odd but charming
friendship. The success of this central relationship is down to the
ease with which both Coogan and Dench interact: Coogan's slightly
arrogant, cynical journalist bounces off Dench's outwardly simple but
warm-hearted and forgiving Philomena and the pair make for some
fantastic on-screen chemistry.
As
the film progresses, their relationship produces many laughs and –
it has to be said – quite a few tears along the way. Perhaps the
true success of the film lies in Frears' ability to perform emotional
hand-brake turns in a single scene, moving from intense mother/son
issues to laugh-out-loud comedy from both Coogan and Dench in a
single scene. The pair really are a delight to watch.
The
script has a brilliant tension between humour and sadness and I found
my eyes misting up on more than one occasion. One such scene, set in
a Washington hotel room sees Sixsmith recounting
seemingly-insignificant details about Philomena's son to her: his
firm handshake, how politely he said hello (or was it hi?). Dench's
delight at hearing this mundane but exhilarating information is
hugely affecting. Moments of discovery such as these are the
stand-out sequences from a film which, on an overall level, retains a
low-key tone but with an undercurrent of intense and heart-breaking
emotion.
Coogan
not only stars in the film but has also co-produced and co-written
the screenplay and his investment in a story of loss and re-discovery
such as this is plain to see. The film's raw feeling is punctuated by
flashes of comedy which catch you off-guard but which always delight.
The film doesn't have to try hard to set the tears going because the
story's roots in real life events are so emotive.
Philomena is
a fantastic, affecting and potent film which mixes comedy, tragedy
and reconciliation to great effect. The film is, undoubtedly,
sustained by Coogan and Dench who are one of the most delightful
on-screen pairings seen this year and it will charm, devastate and
delight in equal measure. Frears certainly knows how to pull at the
heart-strings.
Clapperboard Rating: * * * *
Philomena is released nationwide on 1st November
