Yesterday my friend Terry and I went to see Judi Dench in her new movie, Philomena. I must admit, based on the trailers I saw on television, I was expecting a mildly interesting film about a common occurrence, something perhaps more appropriate for a made-for-TV movie. Philomena, a young Irish girl has a baby out-of-wedlock in the 1950s. She is given over to nuns in a convent for the duration of her pregnancy and the delivery of the baby. In return for their “charity” Philomena is indentured to the convent for four years after the birth during which time her little boy is given for adoption.

The movie reveals Philomena’s 50 years of silence about the birth and her final search for the little boy she lost. While I’m not going to give away the plot and twists, I will say that we were both surprised and uplifted by the quality and intelligence of the film. We should have known that anything with Judi Dench would not disappoint and Steve Coogan’s subtle performance was perfect. “Philomena” is based on a true story and may have a limited run because of its subject matter so check it out while you can. Hope you enjoy it too.