Philomena - Blu-ray Review

Details: By Loron Hays; 25 April 2014

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Leave it to Judi Dench, who squeezes every bit of emotion from each and every closeup in Stephen Frears’ movie, to actually bring a tear to my eye.

Philomena is a heart wrenching road trip from Ireland to America and then back to the homeland that is definitely worth taking. Co-starring comedian Steve Coogan (who also co-wrote the screenplay) as the former BBC journalist agreeing to write her story, Philomena is a narrative of faith and forgiveness in the wake of complete cruelty.

Based on the 2009 book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by Martin Sixthsmith, Philomena tells the true story of Philomena Lee, an Irish Catholic teenage girl, who finds herself at a convent with child. The nuns take her child from her and adopt him to parents in America. Only Philomena never finds out who or where her child went.

Fast forward to her later years of life and – while still very much grieving – convinces Sixthsmith to help her discover the whereabouts of her boy. He’s recently lost his job and, while considering writing a book, stumbles upon the daughter of Philomena Lee. She and Philomena’s story convinces him to help her with tracking down her son.

With sharp writing and witty banter, these two quickly form a combined front as they face the enemy that is the truth of what has happened to him. Yet, the film doesn’t stop because their search can’t stop. The bad news mounts but it doesn’t deter them from asking the harder questions. Philomena is more than just a mystery. It’s more than just a public roasting of the convent that did do this heinous practice. It is so much more than just a human interest story.

Philomena is legit. Dench and Coogan are excellent together and enjoy the roles of two people – both from different ends of the earth – overcoming their differences and becoming fast friends. It was also nominated for four BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes and deserves to win so much more. Judy Dench offers a masterfully nuanced performance of the seemingly silly, yet ultimately strong Philomena. Steve Coogan also offers a strong, versatile performance as Martin Sixsmith, on a journey of his own too.

This is a film for mother’s and answers so many questions about motherhood and the bond between a child and his mother that it ought to be required viewing for the dads out there.

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MPAA Rating: PG-13 on appeal for some strong language, thematic elements and sexual references.
Runtime: 98 mins
Director: Stephen Frears
Writer: Steve Coogan
Cast: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark
Genre: Biography | Drama
Tagline: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark.
Memorable Movie Quote: "I forgive you because I don't want to remain angry."
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
Official Site: http://philomenamovie.com/index.html
Release Date: November 27, 2014
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: April 15, 2014
Synopsis: Based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, PHILOMENA focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee (Dench), mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock something her Irish-Catholic community didn't have the highest opinion of and given away for adoption in the United States. In following church doctrine, she was forced to sign a contract that wouldn't allow for any sort of inquiry into the son's whereabouts. After starting a family years later in England and, for the most part, moving on with her life, Lee meets Sixsmith (Coogan), a BBC reporter with whom she decides to discover her long-lost son.

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Philomena - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - April 15, 2014
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 25GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD); UV digital copy; Digital copy
Region Encoding: Locked to region A

The movie is presented for the first time in 1080p/AVC MPEG-4. It was shot both digitally and with 16mm film – with the modern-day sequences shot on the digital format, while Philomena's memories back to her childhood were done with 16mm. There's also some 8mm 'home movie' footage spread throughout the film. Colors are muted just a bit, with blue overtones casting about. Detail is solid throughout. And there is not a visible defect. The English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track here provides a lossless listen that isn't immediately appreciated due to all the soft-spoken conversations happening throughout the film.

Supplements:

Commentary:

There is a wonderfully charming feature commentary with Steve Coogan and Screenwriter Jeff Pope that is not to be missed.

Special Features:

While the special features on the Blu-ray edition of the film are minimal, they are interesting as they include in depth interviews with both Coogan and Dench, plus a nice feature on Philomena Lee herself. The Blu-ray edition also comes with a code so you can download a digital version of the movie to your computer or mobile device.