9 years later, the film is one of Netflix’s best releases and I can’t recommend it enough.
When we take a look back at 2013, many films stand out, including the infamous Iron Man 3 and Brad Pitt’s box office smash World War Z. However, a film that achieved great critical acclaim may have completely flown past you, that film is the wonderful Philomena.
With a budget of 12 million, the film became one of 2013’s best dramas with a story enriched in tragedy but it’s coupled with a heartfelt sense of humanity with chemistry between the two leads that truly blossoms during certain scenes.
In the cast, we have Judi Dench and Steve Coogan steering the ship towards finding who and where her adopted son is after he was cruelly taken from her from birth by her nuns as a punishment of sin. Steve Coogan, a journalist, is on the hunt for a weighty story, the two meet and the film takes you on an emotional journey, full of hateful and wonderful flashbacks of her past and of her son.
Obviously, Judi Dench is outstanding in the film and shows audiences more range than her trademark role as M in the Bond series. However, her performance is married with an even better combo with Steve Coogan. His comedic background and smirky one-liners help mellow and tame the drama when it gets rough.
The two provide a great contrasting screen presence, of a mother who is mourning her son and a journalist who is focused on building a story. Some of the best scenes in the film are some of the flashbacks of her son. Images and videos begin to characterize someone who to her never really existed. As an audience member, you begin to be fully engrossed in Judi Dench’s story and her son’s story.
I found myself shedding a tear during the latter half of the film and that never happens….if you exclude Marley and Me all of those years ago. This is a hard story to tell, which is why you need a balance of drama and comedy, which the duo do a marvelous job at.
Another fine addition to the film is the soundtrack. In most blockbusters, you usually come away with a list of adrenaline-fueled soundtracks that you remember, it can be rare to remember the music in drama films like this, however, I thought the music was superb, and really bolstered the emotions and story. My favorite is landing in the USA by Alexandre Desplat. Lovely and bittersweet.
The film is brought to us by the consistent Stephen Frears, who is of great English talent and certainly knows a good story and how to tell it when he comes across the material. He is directing the upcoming The Lost King, which is due for a 2022 release, with Steve Coogan returning as writer and star.
Author Bio
Sam is a content writer. He loves all elements connected with film and writes with passion, always. You can find him on Linkedin, where you will be able to read more articles. When he is not writing, you can find him practicing football
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