Philomena

It's one thing to have an old lady gush about Big Momma's House. But when she's Judi Dench as Philomena, the title character of director Stephen Frears' new real life story, it's really fun to watch.

Anyway, the story is from the nonfiction Book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by BBC reporter Martin Sixsmith, who's also a character here. He's played by Steve Coogan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Pope.

Sixsmith starts out the film having lost his position as a political adviser. He wants to write the umpteenth book about Russian history, but he's pointed into the direction of Philomena Lee.

Lee, as a teenager, had a baby boy named Anthony out of wedlock. She was sent off to an Abbey as "penance" for her "sin." The cruel Nuns adopted out her son against her will. Ever since then, she's been looking for him.

Sixsmith decides to help her out. Their quest goes from Ireland to Washington D.C. Some folks are helpful. Some are not. They'll just have to be prepared when the quest takes an unexpected turn.

Dench's performance as Philomena is what makes the movie what it is. She's an enjoyable, sympathetic character all the way through. She's overly-polite, but it's always worth a chuckle, not irritating (at least to those around her). She eventually forgives those who wronged her, an act which shows her admirable personal strength.

Cinematographer Robbie Ryan shows us some great shots of the Irish Countryside and Washington D.C. But the real star of the crew is composer Alexander Desplat. Desplat's score is one of his most memorable and is easily one of the year's best.

Philomena is not manipulative in the least. It's simply a well-told story about a woman coming to terms with her past. Even if it's ending is not what you might expect, you'll feel good about what does happen.