New PHILOMENA Clip And Poster Starring Judi Dench & Steve Coogan

Starring Oscar-winner Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, PHILOMENA is the touching true story of a woman searching for her son.

Philomena Lee was sent away to a convent to be looked after as a “fallen woman”. Taken from her at the age of 3, her son was “sold” in America. Forced to vow she would never seek him, Philomena fought her vow and spent the next 50 years searching for her lost son. With the help of journalist, Martin Sixsmith, Philomena travels to America to find her lost son.

The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive for the movie, which had it’s premiere last week at the Venice International Film Festival.

Nancy Tartaglione, DEADLINE – “Although Philomena treats a very delicate subject matter, which resulted in the pulling out of a lot of hankies in the Sala Darsena, it’s also a very funny and heart-warming film. People I spoke with after the screening today were singing praises all around.”

Xan Brooks, THE GUARDIAN -“Coogan gives one of his finest, most fully realised film performances as the vain careerist who finds his voice when he needs it most. As for Dench, she’s purely wonderful.”

Jo-Ann Titmarsh, HEY U GUYS.CO.UK – “Some might be surprised at her being cast as a simple Irishwoman, given that we are more used to her razor-sharp quintessential English ladies. But as usual, she is spot-on. At the press conference, Dench mentioned her determination to bring Philomena’s character faithfully to the big screen – her humour, her faith and her humanity. This she has done in spades.”

Derek Malcolm, EVENING STANDARD – “It has, it almost goes without saying, a splendid portrait from Dench. But Coogan equals her with just about his best film performance and Frears orchestrates the proceedings with a beady eye on its possibilities, both as drama and comedy.”

VENICE, ITALY – AUGUST 31: “Philomena” attends ‘Movie Star Lounge’ Day 3 during The 70th Venice Film Festival at the Villa Laguna on August 31, 2013 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Annalisa Flori/Getty Images)

The film will also show at the Toronto Film Festival, Special Presentations on September 8 and the London Film Festival, Gala Presentations in October.

Judi Dench enters the ever-changing Best Actress field alongside other hopefuls – Cate Blanchett (BLUE JASMINE), Sandra Bullock (GRAVITY), Marion Cotillard (THE IMMIGRANTS), Kate Winslet (LABOR DAY), Amy Adams (AMERICAN HUSTLE), Meryl Streep (AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY), Mia Wasikowska (TRACKS), Emma Thompson (SAVING MR. BANKS), Berenice Bejo (THE PAST), Adele Exarchopoulos (BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR), Brie Larson (SHORT TERM 12) and Nicole Kidman (GRACE OF MONACO).

An Academy Award for Lead Actress would go nicely with the statuette Dench already has for her Supporting role in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.  With 7 months to go until Oscar Sunday (March 2, 2014), its gonna be a tough race to call.

The film was developed with the support of BBC Films and financed by BBC Films, the BFI and Pathé.

Directed by Stephen Frears (THE QUEEN), PHILOMENA will be in UK cinemas on November 1 2013; New York and Los Angeles on Christmas Day; wide on January 10, 2014.

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