As finals lumber toward us, bringing with them an impending doom, we find ourselves once more at the mercy of Netflix. We need an escape from the papers, the quizzes, the projects, and we just need a second to breathe. We need something that's going to make us feel good, something that we might get something from. We need "Philomena."
Based on a true story, "Philomena" follows the journey of Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), an elderly Irish woman who had her son taken from her at a young age by the nuns at the convent at which she lived in the 50s. Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), a recently fired journalist (and stout atheist), is the one who is going to help her find her son, and uncover the truth about the convent and the nuns that sent him away. Together, they journey far and wide to find the fate of Philomena's lost child. With a movie that adds new twists every other scene, it's impossible to speak of their journey without spoiling it for the viewers. The results are not huge shocks, but they're realistic enough to make you wonder how the characters will react to them.
Stephen Frears directs this movie in such a way that it seems to come off as a buddy comedy. With a charming relationship between Martin and Philomena that the viewers can easily grow fond of, it's easy to find yourself developing a strong allegiance to these characters. Martin's sarcastic attitude clashes in great scenes against Philomena's gentle and endearing nature. It's a movie that wonderfully demonstrates how two unlikely people with different views can join together to fight against injustices.
The film brilliantly shows how simple it is for those of different faiths to be civilized and even friendly to each other. Though Martin is an atheist, he comes to admire Philomela's faith, even after the horrors she experienced at the convent. In a scene where Martin can't find Philomena and she won't open the door to her hotel room, Martin must pretend she is his mother, because the hotel employee can't open the door unless they're relatives. In little passing moments like this, Frears shows a strong character arc for the two heroes.
Philomena, in one of my favorite scenes, tells Martin about her experience of having sex. She remarks, "After the sex, I thought anything that feels so lovely must be wrong." To which Martin replies, "F*cking Catholics." This scene embodies the strength of Philomena as an incredible character. Even though she is so driven by the guilt and shame that was forced upon her, she finds courage to seek her child, breaking the contract the nuns made her sign stating she would never try to contact her son. It's not easy for her to come to terms with the fact that the same religion that taught her love has caused her so much pain.
"Philomena" is available to stream on Netflix now.
