Philomena (2013) [Blu-ray]
Drama

Philomena is the true story of one mother's search for her lost son. Falling pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena was sent to the convent of Roscrea to be looked after as a "fallen woman." Tagline: These two unlikely companions are on a journey to find her long lost son.

When her baby was only a toddler, he was taken away by the nuns for adoption in America. Philomena spent the next fifty years searching for him in vain. Then she met Martin Sixsmith, a world-weary political journalist who happened to be intrigued by her story. Together they set off for America on a journey that would not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena's son, but also create an unexpectedly close bond between them. The film is a compelling narrative of human love and loss and ultimately celebrates life. It is both funny and sad and concerns two very different people, at different stages of their lives, who help each other and show that there is laughter even in the darkest places.

Storyline: When former journalist Martin Sixsmith is dismissed from the Labour Party in disgrace, he is at a loss as to what do. That changes when a young Irish woman approaches him about a story of her mother, Philomena, who had her son taken away when she was a teenage inmate of a Catholic convent. Martin arranges a magazine assignment about her search for him that eventually leads to America. Along the way, Martin and Philomena discover as much about each other as about her son's fate. Furthermore, both find their basic beliefs challenged. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman on March 21, 2014 -- Title character Philomena's story isn't at all unique, at least not on the surface. Her search for her long-lost son is one undertaken everyday in nations around the world. Modern technology -- digital sleuthing and the abundance of information available to anyone with fingertips (and, sometimes, a credit card) -- has made the search simpler, but with that simplicity comes the very real possibility of resolution, a resolution that may lead either to a brand new world or to the finality of closure. It's now oftentimes more about the search's aftermath than it is the search itself, an aftermath that frequently only opens more avenues while only closing off the road left behind. There's a little bit of everything in Philomena, everything one might expect of a modern search in the digital, open-world age. It's a story of pain, uncertainty, helpfulness, closed doors, secrets, lies, revelations, awkward meetings, integrity, personal resolution, and spiritual settling. It's a beautifully crafted film that tells a simply shaped story of a search not so much for a body but for a soul, not so much a place but a purpose, not so much an ending but rather a beginning.

A young Philomena (Sophie Kennedy Clark) becomes pregnant out of wedlock. Her child is born and raised in an Irish convent, his mother practically enslaved as a clothes launderer within its walls and only granted one hour of access to him per day. While still a very young boy, he's adopted into a new home, never to be heard from again. Decades pass -- five of them, in fact -- and Philomena (Judi Dench) longs to reunite with her son. When word of her quest reaches the ears of a disgraced BBC journalist named Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), the pair set out to discover what has become of her son, now over fifty years old and likely unaware of his true past. Their journey first takes them to the Irish abbey where only more questions, not answers, await. The journey then takes them to the United States and one ocean closer to the truth not only about her son's life, but the people who took him away from his mother without her consent decades ago.

At its center, Philomena is a story of closure and redemption, about two people whose lives have, over the years, taken unexpected turns and who wish, through a single, shared, focused quest, to rediscover who they were, who they are, who they may have been, and who they still might be. It's about two people searching not exactly for a brighter future but for a direction, where to go, and how to get there through the prism of difficult pasts, pasts with which they have largely come to terms -- particularly Philomena -- but for which they nevertheless seek reconciliation. The journey leads them to unexpected places and some unexpected answers. The mystery itself proves not particularly difficult for them to sort out, which allows the story to reach the crux -- it's true purpose -- without the overreaching mystery dominating the entire picture. Rather than a simple "missing person" mystery, Philomena is more about telling a story of intertwining lives, of hope, of the satisfaction that something good could come from something bad, that choices have consequences but that those consequences don't always follow a predicted, predetermined path. The film not-so-subtly challenges and incorporates controversial story points, including stringent religious ideals and personal lifestyle choices, but the film's pleasure comes from witnessing the characters, and Philomena in particular, not simply satisfying curiosity but finding a center, rekindling a spirit, and demonstrating the power of closure that's embodied in a fitting and well-executed final scene.

Director Stephen Frears (The Queen) crafts the film with a beautiful visual subtlety, a smooth professionalism that places the focus on the story and, more intimately and more importantly, the thoughts and souls of its lead characters. He accentuates a compelling narrative by largely staying out of the way but effectively capturing the dramatic essences of the performances, the deep, inward-focused trials, understandings, pains, and reliefs that the actors so expertly convey. Indeed, the film is graced by two incredible performances from Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, both of whom find their characters' purposes and spirits, shaping those characters below the surface and exploring their complex centers with precise outward performances. Dench was awarded with a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar nomination for her work in the film.

Philomena's story is one of mystery but also one that runs much deeper and more profound than that. It's truly a story of a journey towards understanding, acceptance, and closure. It's about an unlikely bond between two people in the physical realm and a mother's search for a bond with the child she barely knew. It's a much more compelling film as a personal journey rather than a straight mystery. Quality but unobtrusive direction and effortless performances give shape to one of the year's must-see films. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Philomena features striking video, excellent audio, and several supplements. Highly recommended.

[CSW] -3.3- Judi Dench was amazing and at times heartbreaking as the title character. Steve Coogan was very funny and real as the reporter Martin Sixsmith, who helps Philomena search for her son that she gave up for adoption when she was a teen mother in a catholic home for girls run by horrible nuns. The sad thing is that this was based on a true story and all the characters are based on real people. The Church being called on the carpet for its myriad misdeeds, but Philomena's forgiveness, which lower my rating, seemed more the act of the simple woman she was portrayed to be, rather than an intellectual decision, given what she endured over 50 years. (I have no problem with forgiveness, but experience informs me that it can only work when truth and reconciliation occur.) This movie was actually enjoyable, well-acted, wonderful dialogue surprises. The characters are complex and reveal different aspects of themselves over the course of the story. As a plus there are some truly funny lines.
[V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.

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