Thursday, BBC4, 9:40pm
Stephen Frears’ Philomena (2013) is a rare jewel of a film, deftly weaving a heartbreaking true story with moments of levity and grace. Based on Martin Sixsmith’s book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, the film recounts the poignant journey of Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), a devout Irish woman seeking the son taken from her as a teenager by the Magdalene nuns. Her unlikely companion is Sixsmith himself (Steve Coogan), a disgraced journalist drawn to her story by equal measures of curiosity and professional desperation. Together, they embark on a road trip that is part mystery, part theological reckoning, and part exploration of the bond between cynicism and faith.
Alexandre Desplat’s score is an exquisite complement to the narrative, blending a sense of quiet determination with moments of haunting melancholy. Desplat, ever the musical alchemist, employs a recurring piano motif that feels almost like a prayer—gentle and insistent, echoing Philomena’s resilience. Strings rise and fall with the emotional waves of the story, underscoring both the profound loss and the fragile hope at its heart. It is a soundtrack that lingers long after the final frame, much like the film itself, enveloping the viewer in the universal themes of love, grief, and redemption.
Yet, as much as the film captivates, it does nudge at the boundaries of historical fidelity. The Magdalene Laundries, while accurately portrayed as harrowing institutions, are occasionally reduced to one-dimensional villains. Philomena’s quiet faith serves as a counterpoint to Sixsmith’s brash secularism, but the script—co-written by Coogan—sometimes veers into sermonizing. Nevertheless, Dench’s luminous performance transcends any such lapses, reminding us that Philomena is less a history lesson than an intimate story about reclaiming a lost past. In the end, it is the humanity of the characters and the tender notes of Desplat’s music that elevate the film, transforming it into an unforgettable meditation on forgiveness.
- Tom Hanson