Philomena

Inspired by true events, Philomena follows struggling journalist Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) as he reluctantly agrees to tell the human-interest story of the title figure – as Philomena (Judi Dench) sets out to find the son she was forced to give up more than 50 years ago. It’s an inherently intriguing setup that’s employed to consistently watchable effect by director Stephen Frears, although, by that same token, there’s little doubt that the movie, which runs a brisk 98 minutes, does take some time to wholeheartedly get going – with the initial inclusion of rather needless flashbacks wreaking havoc on the narrative’s tenuous momentum. Philomena benefits substantially, however, from the expectedly superb efforts of its two stars, as Dench and Coogan step into their respective roles with impressive ease and, eventually, come to share a chemistry that proves impossible to resist. And although the film suffers from a few recurring problems – the rather predictable nature of Martin’s character arc, for example – Philomena becomes more and more involving as it progresses due to its increased emphasis on Martin and Philomena’s investigation into her son’s upbringing and life. There are, as such, a number of engrossing sequences spread through the film’s second half, and while it’s not quite able to become the tearjerker Frears clearly wants it to be, Philomena ultimately establishes itself as a solid little drama that is, more often than not, more effective as an actor’s showcase than anything else.

*** out of ****