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Judi Dench And PHILOMENA – Stephen Frears Film May Bring Her First Best Actress Oscar (Video)
On Tuesday morning actor/writer Steve Coogan and director Stephen Frears appeared on CBS This Morning to talk about the emotionally moving PHILOMENA.
In limited release now, this fantastic film is beating box office expectations, and generating some well-deserved Golden Globe and Oscar buzz.
The movie stars Judi Dench as an unwed Irish woman forced to give up her toddler 50 years earlier, and Steve Coogan, the reporter who decided to tell her story.
Coogan obtained the rights to the best-selling book, “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee” by Martin Sixsmith and adapted the script with Jeff Pope. Coogan portrays Sixsmith who aided Mrs. Lee in her spiritually triumphant and emotionally charged quest.
He told the co-hosts that it is based on a true story, one he read in the paper one day that moved him to tears.
“It made me cry,” Coogan said. “I was compelled to tell it because, in some ways, Philomena could be anyone’s mother, she could be anyone’s grandmother.”
With awards, nominations and some of the best reviews of her storied career already pouring in for Dame Judi Dench’s title performance in the multiply-nominated and awarded film, PHILOMENA, the acting icon is making it clear that she’s just getting started. Or at least that she has no plans to slow down the run of awarded film performance which she began at the ripe young age of 63.
Even a recent knee replacement will not cause her to replace her passion for work in films of great meaning for directors of great accomplishment. PHILOMENA director Stephen Frears’ list of awarded motion pictures includes “The Grifters,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “My Beautiful Launderette” and “The Queen” which recently earned Helen Mirren the Best Actress Academy Award.
Dench points out that great direction doesn’t always involve detailed or stern directives. “I love working with Stephen. He hardly says anything, but he subtly helps you get the drift of it.”
A culminating performance like PHILOMENA, a new high in a fifteen year film acting career which already includes six Academy Award nominations and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar (for “Shakespeare In Love,”) promises more culmination to come. Her non-stop schedule has Dench on the way to India to film the sequel to “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” once more under the direction of John Madden who also piloted “Shakespeare In Love.”
Another key figure in the unstoppable crescendo of Dench’s film successes, and a reason for her unabating appetite for more films of significant public impact, is Harvey Weinstein. As The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Feinberg, recently noted of Dench, “the 79-year-old British legend, who has scored six Oscar noms since turning 63 — five for Weinstein-distributed films — might well nab a seventh nod on Jan. 16.”
THR went on to say, “It would be an understatement to describe Dench and Weinstein as a Hollywood ‘odd couple.’ Dench, 79, is the elegant British actress who has performed Shakespeare on stage, conquered TV and, since turning 63, scored six Oscar noms.” In observing that “the critically-acclaimed Weinstein Co. film ‘Philomena’ has received a Golden Globe nom for best picture and garnered Dench best actress Critics’ Choice, Globe and SAG,” it quoted the actress as saying, “It’s because of Harvey that I’ve got a film career.” Weinstein began Dench’s film eminence when he saw a British film headed to television, “Mrs. Brown,” gave it an enthusiastic film release and secured the actress’ first Best Actress Oscar nomination.
Weinstein, backing up Dench’s assurance that “neither charging youthfully up to eighty or replaced knee or even joining the ranks of other legends who have won the Best Actress Oscar will move her one step toward retirement. She says she feels like 43. Eighty is just the speed she’s driving.”
The Hollywood Reporter’s story also speculated that “The duo’s latest collaboration, ‘Philomena,’ might well be their most moving yet.”
On its chances to win a Best Picture Oscar, Variety‘s Tim Gray wrote, “PHILOMENA deals with forgiveness and religion, the latter a subject most studios are terrified to broach. On Dec. 19, Helen Mirren was the host of a reception for the film at Dan Tana’s in Beverly Hills, and the crowd was enthusing about having seen the film several times, while admitting they hadn’t seen other contenders even once. The AARP demographic in the Academy are a voting force. And they like this film.”
From The Weinstein Company, PHILOMENA begins its wide US national release Friday, January 10.
Read my review here: http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2013/11/philomena-review/
Photos: © 2013 The Weinstein Company. All Rights Reserved
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