The stringent morality of a lost age haunts a simple Irish woman in Philomena. While young, the title character (Judi Dench) gives birth out of wedlock after her ashamed family abandons her at a convent. As punishment for her sin (and to generate some cash), the merciless nuns sell the baby boy to an American couple. Philomena, now an old woman, enlists the help of an unemployed journalist (Steve Coogan) to track down the son she has never forgotten. The story is heartbreaking, and made even more so by Philomena’s cheer; the sweet lady harbors none of the bitterness she has every right to feel. Dench plays her with grace and an open heart, turning the tragic figure into a ray of light.
Should You See It? Yes. —R.K.
Viewed at Chase Park Plaza Cinemas
