After a long wait I was able to watch Stephen Frears 'Philomena' starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan based on a book by Martin Sixsmith titled "The Lost Child of Philomena Lee". This is one movie in years that made me wait impatiently for all these days after just hearing a one liner and seeing the poster. The movie tells the true story of Philomena Lee's 50-year-long search for her son who was taken away from her and given for adoption by the Roscrea Convent Nuns. The story is a heart wrenching saga which makes you smile and moist eyed at the same time.The plot of the story starts with a 70 year old Philomena (Judi Dench) lighting a candle in her Catholic church and remembering her son Anthony. On being asked by her daughter the reason for her being sad she confesses for the first time about her son Anthony who was taken away from her 50 years back as she was an unwed mother. The child was adopted by a family and she was not able to find her child even after several visits to the convent who kept on sending her back assuring her of finding and informing her the details.
Her daughter is leaving for work catering at a party where she overhears Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), one of the guests, mentioning that he is a journalist and she approaches him to see if he will report on the scandalous story she has just learned of from her mother. Although he initially scorns human interest stories - and the daughter herself, he needs work as he lost his job recently as a Labour government adviser. He finds an editor who is a potential new employer for him who wants him to get human interest stories to be employed. Martin has second thoughts the next day and meets Philomena and her daughter, and they start to investigate what had become of her son.
The long search that starts from Roscrea takes both Philomena and Martin to Washington and then back to Roscrea where the story started and ended.
The movie is a fine piece of heart that will make you feel for a mother who has lost her child fifty years back and who is still hopeful of finding him one day. Judi Dench gives a very heartfelt performance as Philomena and she is ably supported by Steve Coogan. The screenplay by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope is wonderful and has got a lot of recognition worldwide. The cinematography by Robbie Ryan is beautiful and so is the background music by Alexandre Desplat.This is a must watch movie for every cinema lover who loves to see a wonderful story with great performances.
My Verdict:**** A must watch!!!
