Rare is the film that centers itself around religion without
glorifying it or demonizing it. It's an
easy trap to fall into, as filmmakers interested in tackling religious topics
are generally doing so out of their desire to promote their own opinion through
their work. However, Philomena is that rare film that
addresses the debate between faith and skepticism without doing either any
injustice, nor does it encourage the audience to pick a side. This is all told through a touching story
about two vastly different people trying to find a long lost son.
Philomena gave birth fifty years ago to a son. Because she was a teenager, her family
disowned her. She and her son lived in a
Catholic convent, where she would work endlessly to repay the nuns for taking her
in. Then, one day, the nuns sold
Philomena's son to an American couple, and she never saw her son again. The story picks up with Philomena as an old
woman, played by Judi Dench, when she decides to finally tell her daughter
about her missing son. Philomena's
daughter brings this story to the attention of Martin Sixsmith, played by Steve
Coogan, a cynical journalist who has recently lost his job, and generally
considers human interest stories like this to be beneath him. However, something draws him to the case, and
the two begin an investigation to find Philomena's son.
The real heart of the story comes from Philomena's and
Martin's interactions. Philomena is a
devout Catholic who wishes to see the good in people, but is also somewhat
naive. Judi Dench gives an amazing
performance, ranging from being obliviously funny to heartbreakingly depressed,
all while retaining the persona of a simple woman dealing with some complex
emotions. Martin, on the other hand, is
a much more educated person, and he thinks himself superior to Philomena
because he doesn't have blind faith and finds comfort in reason. He's also a realist, and isn't afraid to be
rude if he thinks a situation warrants it.
The interplay between these two characters is at times
funny, awkward, touching, or sometimes even tragic. Martin is often the straight-man to some of
Philomena's more ridiculous lines, but he's also a reluctant emotional support
to her as more pieces of the mystery come together. What really struck me, though, was the way
religion is addressed through their conversations. These are two characters that have vastly
different outlooks on faith, more specifically Catholicism, and
the film doesn't shy away from the two of them clashing over it. However, what the film does so well is treat
both outlooks on life as entirely valid, and both characters learn something
from one another. Philomena and Martin
present their cases, and both are sometimes humbled by what the other has to
say. It's a refreshing look at faith
when most art is content to address it in either a positive or negative light.
My awe at the handling of faith aside, Philomena is a
fantastic film that was entirely deserving of making the Best Picture nominee
list for the Academy Awards. Dench gives
a stellar performance in one of the most emotionally touching films I've seen
in a long time. The script is
brilliantly written, and it's something that should appeal to both the
high-brow Martins and the less critical Philomenas of the world. Give this one a look.
Where do you lie on the spectrum of faiths, non-faiths, and
philosophies? Can you think of another
film that addresses faith so neutrally?
Let me know in a comments!
(Seriously, I'd love to see some.)
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