Philomena (Stephen Frears, 2013)

The wildly oscillating-quality director Frears is decisively peaking again with this one, probably helped by having the support of a true story to curb any sentimental excesses. The other back-up is of course the actors, with Judi Dench in fine fettle and Steve Coogan successfully putting more distance between himself as a dramatic actor and his Alan Partridge monster.
Philomena Lee is a former victim of Ireland's Catholic workhouse system for 'fallen women', as seen in The Magdalene Sisters. The child resulting from her unplanned teenage pregnancy was sold to the highest bidder by the nuns and she is now seeking to find that child after decades of self-denial. Coogan plays the BBC journalist Martin Sixsmith, at a loose end after his sacking, who sets out to get his career back on track by helping her track down her lost child. There is gentle comedy at the mismatch between the devout and seemingly simple mother with a mission and the cynical journalist with a constant eye on his human interest angle, but it does not stifle the bittersweetness and righteous anger generated by inhuman institutions and cruel circumstance along the way on their road trip.

7/10