The Virginia Film Festival has a rich tradition of bringing the silver screen’s best to Charlottesville, and this year was no exception with “Philomena” as a shining beacon. What sets “Philomena” apart from its competition is the seemingly bottomless emotional depth of the film, anchored by Judi Dench. Thanks in large part to the expert filmmaking of Stephen Frears, “Philomena” is a must-see, heart-wrenching experience set to debut in theaters everywhere Nov. 27.
Based on a true story, Philomena Lee (Dench) is a deeply devout Irish Catholic woman on a quest to find her long lost son who was given up for adoption by the nuns who took her in as a child. To find her son, Philomena pairs up with Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), a recently sacked journalist and self-spoken atheist with time to kill. Martin provides the perfect counterbalance to Philomena’s harrowing emotional journey by giving the audience ample reprieves from the pain of a mother and child separated.
This is not to say that Philomena is all doom and gloom. On the contrary, she loves reading corny romance novels, eating at buffets and watching “Big Momma’s House.” As this unlikely pair travels the world in search of a missing son, Philomena and Martin must learn to put aside their differences, or risk never resolving the 50-year-old mystery.
But “Philomena” is not without its share of social commentary, so brace yourself if you’re Catholic. The film launches indirect, but scathing, criticism against the Catholic Church and its 1950s Irish policy on dealing with children born out of wedlock. The seeming innocence of the film’s convent and the nuns who inhabit it quickly devolves into a much more sinister enterprise. Yet, the viewer is saved from such a heavy-handed condemnation of the Catholic Church by Dench’s ability to portray compassion, humility and forgiveness.
In addition to a fantastic screenplay and quality direction from Stephen Frears, Dench’s unforgettable performance seals the deal. Dench, who is slowly going blind from macular degeneration, can stare at the camera and make you weep without saying a single word. And she does. She brings her A-game to “Philomena,” securing both the film’s place as one of the most superb films to hit the Virginia Film Festival this year as well as Dench’s surefire nomination for Best Actress across the myriad of this year’s film awards.
For an unforgettable performance by Dench in what will unfortunately but likely be one of her last roles, as well as a story that will have you in a constant state of flux between laughter and tears, watch “Philomena” over your Thanksgiving break. It will be better for your soul than all the chicken soup in the world.
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