WORDS: Aisling Kelly
The most surprising thing about Philomena is the way in which it mixes genres. Far from the straightforward melodrama it might have been, the film incorporates elements of the “buddy movie” and the adventure film, and is at the same time heart-breaking and heart-warming, serious and comedic. The film portrays the emotional turmoil of a woman trying to search for the son cruelly taken from her at birth, while also maintaining a comic sweetness. Meanwhile, it also serves as an exposition of the abhorrent mistreatment of Irish women who fell pregnant out of wedlock and the lasting effects of Catholic guilt. Combining all these components may seem an ambitious task, however it appears director Stephen Frears has proven successful in including just enough of each of these elements and melding them together seamlessly.
The film tells the true story of Philomena Lee, masterfully portrayed by Dame Judi Dench. At nineteen, Philomena, pregnant and unmarried, was sent to a convent in Roscrea, and forced to work in the laundries. There she gave birth to her son who, at three years of age, was given away to an American family. Constantly reminded of the guilt she ought to feel at all times due to her perceived sins, the distraught young woman relinquished all rights to the child and promised never to make any attempt to find him. Fifty years on, she enlists the help of disgraced journalist Martin Sixsmith, played by Steve Coogan, to find her son; although the archaic and restrictive rules of the Catholic Church render this task near impossible. Sixsmith’s book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee is the source text for the film and in reality was instrumental in inspiring many women in Philomena’s situation to come forward and try to reach out to the children who had been taken from them in the same circumstances.
Dench’s Philomena is a woman torn in two by her devotion to the Church which has wronged her and her longing to find the child that she lost. Sixsmith on the other hand is portrayed as a pretentious realist who is at first unenthused at the idea of doing “a human interest story” but grows more and more fond of Philomena and determined to help her. The two are polar opposites, which plays into the classic format of the “buddy movie” but does not fall foul of becoming cliché. Their exchanges, often littered with amusing miscommunications, are witty and touching; with the arrogant journalist discovering his own ignorance in assuming that his academic knowledge makes him any better than Philomena. The two balance each other out in this way with Sixsmith coming away with a better sense of what in life truly matters and Philomena coming to the realisation that one moment of indulgence in teenage lust does not warrant a lifetime of repentance and mistreatment.
The lead performances are both highly commendable. Dench creates an endearing character who is clearly struggling through feelings of loss and shame but not afraid to reprimand Sixsmith when she disagrees with him. She maintains a convincing Irish accent throughout and apart from in moments of real heartache plays the character as chatty and caring, a truly credible Irish Mammy. Coogan proves in this role that he is capable of expanding far beyond his comic niche, although he does not abandon it completely retaining just the right amount of wittiness. The comedy here is subtle and situational; the absurdities which arise due to the pairing of such different characters provide some much needed laughs in between moments of emotional depth.
Frears’ film is a fitting tribute to Sixsmith’s book. Although the Catholic Church is undoubtedly the antagonistic force in the film, it is not slated excessively; the film is not so much an exposé as it is a account of a fascinating real-life story of human loss and resilience. Sixsmith’s dilemma at the beginning of the film as to whether a political journalist should bother wasting his talents on “a human interest story” is answered both for Sixsmith and the audience. Philomena’s story is fascinating, heart-breaking and touching and the writing, directing, cinematography and performances of this film retell it beautifully.
