Who needs Netflix and Prime? BBC iPlayer has a terrific collection of films to watch – here’s our updated list of what to watch right now (and when they’re leaving the service).
Whilst all eyes tend to be on streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime when it comes to movie updates, on the quiet the BBC iPlayer service continues to play host to a limited, diverse selection of films. What’s more, a good number of them you can download to your tablet to watch on the move.
So, without further ado, welcome to the weekly updated iPlayer film list. This list will be updated every week with the test available data from the BBC, in order of how long you have left to watch (so you can prioritise your viewing pleasure)
New! – denotes all new movies this week!
Brand-new This Week: House of Gucci, Mr Holmes,...
Whilst all eyes tend to be on streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime when it comes to movie updates, on the quiet the BBC iPlayer service continues to play host to a limited, diverse selection of films. What’s more, a good number of them you can download to your tablet to watch on the move.
So, without further ado, welcome to the weekly updated iPlayer film list. This list will be updated every week with the test available data from the BBC, in order of how long you have left to watch (so you can prioritise your viewing pleasure)
New! – denotes all new movies this week!
Brand-new This Week: House of Gucci, Mr Holmes,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Em McGowan
- Film Stories
Image: Clockwise from top: The Crying Game by Palace Pictures, The Banshees of Inisherin by Searchlight Pictures, The Secret of Kells by New Video
When you think about Ireland, the first thing that comes to mind may not be the country’s robust film industry. But the fact is that...
When you think about Ireland, the first thing that comes to mind may not be the country’s robust film industry. But the fact is that...
- 3/17/2024
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
‘Philomena’ Writer Martin Sixsmith Sets Next Project
Philomena writer Martin Sixsmith and We Are Lady Parts’ Raisah Ahmed are forging a TV adaptation of Sixsmith’s novel Ayesha’s Gift. The six-part detective thriller is set in the wake of the untimely death of British businesswoman Ayesha Rahman’s father, who apparently committed suicide while visiting family in Pakistan. However, with strong reason to believe her dad was in fact murdered and having had no help from the UK or Pakistani authorities, Ayesha takes matters into her own hands and she approaches Sixsmith, an investigative journalist, who also wrote the book that became Stephen Frears movie Philomena, in which he is played by Steve Coogan. Ahmed will write and EP alongside Sixsmith. She wrote on Channel 4’s award-winning comedy We Are Lady Parts and is also developing a debut feature with Film4. Channel 4-backed Freedom Scripted is producing Ayesha’s Gift.
Philomena writer Martin Sixsmith and We Are Lady Parts’ Raisah Ahmed are forging a TV adaptation of Sixsmith’s novel Ayesha’s Gift. The six-part detective thriller is set in the wake of the untimely death of British businesswoman Ayesha Rahman’s father, who apparently committed suicide while visiting family in Pakistan. However, with strong reason to believe her dad was in fact murdered and having had no help from the UK or Pakistani authorities, Ayesha takes matters into her own hands and she approaches Sixsmith, an investigative journalist, who also wrote the book that became Stephen Frears movie Philomena, in which he is played by Steve Coogan. Ahmed will write and EP alongside Sixsmith. She wrote on Channel 4’s award-winning comedy We Are Lady Parts and is also developing a debut feature with Film4. Channel 4-backed Freedom Scripted is producing Ayesha’s Gift.
- 4/24/2023
- by Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
A version of this story about Judi Dench first appeared in the Down to the Wire issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Dame Judi Dench and and Sir Kenneth Branagh’s twelfth collaboration since they met in 1987 was a auspicious one: Playing her longtime friend’s grandmother in his autobiographical coming-of-age drama “Belfast” earned Dench her eighth Oscar nomination.
“It is good, always, to know somebody so well that you have a kind of shorthand with them, which I have with Ken because we’ve worked together for such a long time,” Dench told TheWrap. “But this was a very personal story to him and we all, I think, felt a tremendous responsibility to him to get it right. And I hope that’s what we did.”
Dench’s career, of course, was thriving for decades before she and Branagh crossed paths. She spent years in the London theater beginning in the 1950s,...
Dame Judi Dench and and Sir Kenneth Branagh’s twelfth collaboration since they met in 1987 was a auspicious one: Playing her longtime friend’s grandmother in his autobiographical coming-of-age drama “Belfast” earned Dench her eighth Oscar nomination.
“It is good, always, to know somebody so well that you have a kind of shorthand with them, which I have with Ken because we’ve worked together for such a long time,” Dench told TheWrap. “But this was a very personal story to him and we all, I think, felt a tremendous responsibility to him to get it right. And I hope that’s what we did.”
Dench’s career, of course, was thriving for decades before she and Branagh crossed paths. She spent years in the London theater beginning in the 1950s,...
- 3/15/2022
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
Explosive thriller Gangs of London landed on Sky and Cinemax in one intense nine episode package this April. It boasts a large international ensemble cast to match its sprawling narrative style. The cast is a mix of well known faces and relative newcomers all mixed up in the fray.
But who plays who, and where might you have seen them before? We break down the main and supporting cast including their key roles to date and exciting upcoming projects.
The Wallaces Colm Meaney as Finn Wallace
Finn Wallace is the patriarch of the family and the head of a massive crime syndicate who is assassinated in episode one of Gangs of London but appears in flashback throughout the series. Irish actor Colm Meaney might be best recognised by some for his recurring role in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Chief Miles O’Brien.
But who plays who, and where might you have seen them before? We break down the main and supporting cast including their key roles to date and exciting upcoming projects.
The Wallaces Colm Meaney as Finn Wallace
Finn Wallace is the patriarch of the family and the head of a massive crime syndicate who is assassinated in episode one of Gangs of London but appears in flashback throughout the series. Irish actor Colm Meaney might be best recognised by some for his recurring role in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Chief Miles O’Brien.
- 5/5/2020
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
British TV star Steve Coogan made it big in Hollywood five years ago with the true story “Philomena,” in which he portrayed journalist Martin Sixsmith, who helped Philomena Lee (Judi Dench) find her long lost son. The multi-hyphenate Coogan reaped Oscar bids for both Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. He shared the latter nomination with Jeff Pope and they won a BAFTA for their collaboration. The pair have reunited with “Stan and Ollie” with Pope scripting and Coogan portraying Stan Laurel (Oscar nominee John C. Reilly is Oliver Hardy).
Does Coogan prefer playing real people or fictional characters? Both come with vastly differing pressures, of course. “I have played a few real people in my life. And I quite like it because people say, ‘Oh it must be very difficult’ but, in actual fact, in some ways, it’s easier than having a character who just exists on the page.
Does Coogan prefer playing real people or fictional characters? Both come with vastly differing pressures, of course. “I have played a few real people in my life. And I quite like it because people say, ‘Oh it must be very difficult’ but, in actual fact, in some ways, it’s easier than having a character who just exists on the page.
- 12/3/2018
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
True Story, The End of the Tour, Philomena and now Spotlight: when will film-makers stop shoehorning journalists into the middle of their screenplays?
Exactly two years ago, Philomena was nominated for four Oscars. It already had as many Bafta nods, and the tally kept rising. But now Stephen Frears’s drama has another claim to fame. Looking over the past year’s releases, it seems Frears, along with writers Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, set a trend for non-fiction films with a new, topsy-turvy perspective.
The film is inspired by Martin Sixsmith’s book, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee. But Frears and his collaborators didn’t solely focus on Philomena Lee (Judi Dench) and her search for her son, 50 years after he was taken from her by nuns. They also addressed whether a disgraced journalist (Coogan) could redeem himself by helping her. There’s no doubt that the interaction...
Exactly two years ago, Philomena was nominated for four Oscars. It already had as many Bafta nods, and the tally kept rising. But now Stephen Frears’s drama has another claim to fame. Looking over the past year’s releases, it seems Frears, along with writers Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, set a trend for non-fiction films with a new, topsy-turvy perspective.
The film is inspired by Martin Sixsmith’s book, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee. But Frears and his collaborators didn’t solely focus on Philomena Lee (Judi Dench) and her search for her son, 50 years after he was taken from her by nuns. They also addressed whether a disgraced journalist (Coogan) could redeem himself by helping her. There’s no doubt that the interaction...
- 1/15/2016
- by Nicholas Barber
- The Guardian - Film News
Philomena recounts the true story of Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), a Catholic woman who gives birth out of wedlock in 1950s Ireland. Abandoned by her family who consider her to have sinned, she is forced to live in an abbey, where the nuns sell her infant child for adoption. Philomena keeps her secret for fifty years, before eventually enlisting the help of jaded journalist Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) in tracking down her estranged son.
- 9/12/2014
- Sky Movies
Some great films were released on the same day as such recent hits as The Dark Knight Rises and Frozen. Here are a few of them...
Odd List
The 3rd July 2013 saw the release of Disney's The Lone Ranger, its larger-than-life western starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer. Its theatrical debut marked the end of a lengthy and difficult production, stories from which had been hungrily served up by the media - the previous summer was dominated by news stories of its spiralling budget, which was thought to have crossed $250m. Nevertheless, the 2013 blockbuster season should, in theory, have marked a fresh start for Disney, as it spent a reported $150m on marketing The Lone Ranger. But the House of Mouse hadn't counted on the popularity of another film launched on that exact same day in July: Universal's animated sequel, Despicable Me 2.
The Lone Ranger, a film with an...
Odd List
The 3rd July 2013 saw the release of Disney's The Lone Ranger, its larger-than-life western starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer. Its theatrical debut marked the end of a lengthy and difficult production, stories from which had been hungrily served up by the media - the previous summer was dominated by news stories of its spiralling budget, which was thought to have crossed $250m. Nevertheless, the 2013 blockbuster season should, in theory, have marked a fresh start for Disney, as it spent a reported $150m on marketing The Lone Ranger. But the House of Mouse hadn't counted on the popularity of another film launched on that exact same day in July: Universal's animated sequel, Despicable Me 2.
The Lone Ranger, a film with an...
- 7/8/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Philomena is as surprising in its existence as it is in its ability to transform a story that ought to be cliche syrup into something real and moving. The film’s ability to deliver honest emotion may be more surprising, given the synopsis, but the existence question may need some explanation.
Steve Coogan, of Alan Partridge and other comedic efforts fame, isn’t a name you immediately associate with not only starring in a venture like this, but also co-writing it and becoming something of a driving force behind the production. Moreover, it’s rare to get anyone behind a film that is taking a pretty serious shot at the Catholic Church, much less big names like Judi Dench and Stephen Frears. And, speaking of Stephen Frears, though he manages a lot of variety in his films, ranging from Dangerous Liasions, and Liam, to High Fidelity, and Tamara Drewe, a biopic exploration of hope,...
Steve Coogan, of Alan Partridge and other comedic efforts fame, isn’t a name you immediately associate with not only starring in a venture like this, but also co-writing it and becoming something of a driving force behind the production. Moreover, it’s rare to get anyone behind a film that is taking a pretty serious shot at the Catholic Church, much less big names like Judi Dench and Stephen Frears. And, speaking of Stephen Frears, though he manages a lot of variety in his films, ranging from Dangerous Liasions, and Liam, to High Fidelity, and Tamara Drewe, a biopic exploration of hope,...
- 4/22/2014
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Just when you thought that Stephen Frears’ latest film, Philomena, would be yet another questionable exercise from the once generally revered auteur, (judging from a recent string of misfires that resulted in his career worst with 2012’s unfathomably awful Lay the Favorite), he switches it up with his best work since The Queen. Presented at the Toronto Int. FIlm Festival, the Academy Award and BAFTA award-nominated crowd pleaser, to be sure, but despite its unavoidable pretense as an awards darling (of which there are bound to be several), a disavowal to wallow in chintzy schmaltz at least makes it deserving of praise in that it’s intelligently written (and based on a true story! Oh my!) and genuinely performed, even if the film is rather visually banal.
The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, a 2009 book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, here portrayed by Steve Coogan, provides the basis for Stephen Frears’ treatment,...
The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, a 2009 book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, here portrayed by Steve Coogan, provides the basis for Stephen Frears’ treatment,...
- 4/15/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Even at 79, Judi Dench continues to amaze. Her performance as Philomena Lee, a kindly Irish woman who attempts to track down the son she was forced to abandon decades earlier, represents a new high-water mark for the veteran actress, who commands every crease of her storied features and every glance of her piercing blue eyes to deepen the portrayal. Philomena is a film about love, life, death, faith and forgiveness, but most of all it’s a story about one woman’s stunning courage in the face of adversity. And with Dench in the part, the film also becomes a dazzling showcase for her talents.
When we first meet Philomena, she’s lost in thought, reliving her years as a teenager in a convent, when she became pregnant following a tryst with a local boy and gave birth, only to find herself imprisoned by the nuns and forced to give the baby up for adoption.
When we first meet Philomena, she’s lost in thought, reliving her years as a teenager in a convent, when she became pregnant following a tryst with a local boy and gave birth, only to find herself imprisoned by the nuns and forced to give the baby up for adoption.
- 4/15/2014
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
To mark the release of Philomena on 24th March, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on Blu-ray.
Falling pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena Lee (Dench) was sent to the convent of Roscrea to be looked after as a “fallen woman”. When her baby was only a toddler, he was adopted and whisked to America without warning. Philomena spent the next fifty years searching for her lost son in vain.
Then she met Martin Sixsmith (Coogan), a world-weary journalist as cynical as Philomena was trusting. Together they set off for America on a journey that would not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena’s son, but also the powerful bond that grew up between Philomena and Martin – a surprising relationship that was both profoundly moving and very funny.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
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Falling pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena Lee (Dench) was sent to the convent of Roscrea to be looked after as a “fallen woman”. When her baby was only a toddler, he was adopted and whisked to America without warning. Philomena spent the next fifty years searching for her lost son in vain.
Then she met Martin Sixsmith (Coogan), a world-weary journalist as cynical as Philomena was trusting. Together they set off for America on a journey that would not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena’s son, but also the powerful bond that grew up between Philomena and Martin – a surprising relationship that was both profoundly moving and very funny.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Small Print
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- 3/24/2014
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company have announced the home entertainment release of the critically acclaimed comedy/drama starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, Philomena. Directed by Stephen Frears and co-written by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, Philomena will be available for digital download on April 4, 2014 before heading to DVD and Blu-Ray™ with Digital HD UltraViolet™ on April 15, 2014.
Philomena premiered in the main competition section at the 2013 Venice Film Festival where it took home the prize for Best Screenplay. Later, the film won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The Weinstein Company released the powerful film theatrically on November 22, 2013 where it has grossed over $34 million dollars to date. The film accolades continued with a 2014 Screen Actor’s Guild nomination for Judi Dench for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role and 2014 Golden Globe nominations for Judi Dench for Best...
Philomena premiered in the main competition section at the 2013 Venice Film Festival where it took home the prize for Best Screenplay. Later, the film won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The Weinstein Company released the powerful film theatrically on November 22, 2013 where it has grossed over $34 million dollars to date. The film accolades continued with a 2014 Screen Actor’s Guild nomination for Judi Dench for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role and 2014 Golden Globe nominations for Judi Dench for Best...
- 3/4/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Head of BBC Films Christine Langan explains why the end of the awards season is a good thing, and how she 'nurtures' winners like The Queen and Philomena
The Oscars inspire various emotions in film producers: suspense, elation, deflation … and relief. Whatever the outcome, award season is finally over. "They are very exciting, but it's got to the point where they take up a big chunk of the year," observes Christine Langan, head of BBC Films. "You're barely through the summer when the pundits are coming up with a programme of what to watch."
Still, she grants, for those outside the major studios, gongs can be a film's best friend. "Working in the independent sector, you're in the lunatic gang anyway, hoping for some magic – a really unusual story or a really knockout performance – so of course awards are important. They can prolong the life of your film, get it noticed,...
The Oscars inspire various emotions in film producers: suspense, elation, deflation … and relief. Whatever the outcome, award season is finally over. "They are very exciting, but it's got to the point where they take up a big chunk of the year," observes Christine Langan, head of BBC Films. "You're barely through the summer when the pundits are coming up with a programme of what to watch."
Still, she grants, for those outside the major studios, gongs can be a film's best friend. "Working in the independent sector, you're in the lunatic gang anyway, hoping for some magic – a really unusual story or a really knockout performance – so of course awards are important. They can prolong the life of your film, get it noticed,...
- 2/28/2014
- by Ben Walters
- The Guardian - Film News
All but one of our 30 Oscar Experts are predicting that John Ridley will win Best Adapted Screenplay for "12 Years a Slave," which is locked in a tight battle for Best Picture. That overwhelming support gives this first-time nominee leading odds of 1/10 to take home an Academy Award up for his adaptation of Solomon Northup's memoir. Christopher Rosen (Huffington Post) is backing the bid by BAFTA champs Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope for their efforts in crafting Martin Sixsmith's biography "Philomena" into a heartfelt film. They have odds of 20/1 to pull off an upset at the Oscars. As "Before Midnight" is a sequel, it contends in this category and reaped a bid for director Richard Linklater and stars Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, who were nominated in 2004 for "Before Sunset." They have odds of 50/1 to win this time around. So too does Emmy champ Terence W...
- 2/28/2014
- Gold Derby
By Mark Pinkert
Contributor
…
In less than a week, the Academy will crown its 2013 Best Picture and, soon after, we’ll all move on to 2014. But which of the current films will stand the test of time? Which ones will we re-watch, now and later, despite massive influxes of new movies? Some of this year’s films, we’ll find, are “re-watchable,” while others fill us up after one viewing. Here’s my look at the nine Best Picture contenders and how I think they’ll fare down the road.
12 Years a Slave
This is a film that needs to–and will–stand the test of time. The source of its longevity, years later, will be the poignant performances and powerful scenes that burn into our memories, as when Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) clings barely to life from a noose on the plantation. But the film is difficult to watch,...
Contributor
…
In less than a week, the Academy will crown its 2013 Best Picture and, soon after, we’ll all move on to 2014. But which of the current films will stand the test of time? Which ones will we re-watch, now and later, despite massive influxes of new movies? Some of this year’s films, we’ll find, are “re-watchable,” while others fill us up after one viewing. Here’s my look at the nine Best Picture contenders and how I think they’ll fare down the road.
12 Years a Slave
This is a film that needs to–and will–stand the test of time. The source of its longevity, years later, will be the poignant performances and powerful scenes that burn into our memories, as when Solomon Northrup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) clings barely to life from a noose on the plantation. But the film is difficult to watch,...
- 2/24/2014
- by Mark Pinkert
- Scott Feinberg
One of the great things about this year's Oscars lineup is the fact that the Best Picture category is packed with excellent films crossing a diverse range of genres. Since the introduction of an expanded field there have been a few questionable inclusions (see: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Blind Side), but in 2014 it's fair to say there isn't a duffer in the bunch.
So competitive is the race for the coveted Best Picture Academy Award this year, it's even sparked some heated debate among Digital Spy staff as to which film is most deserving of the prize. With one person's ideal Best Picture winner totally different to another, we decided to throw them all together to make an argument for personal favourites...
Oscars 2014 poll: Who do you want to win?
The Wolf of Wall Street - Ben Lee, Entertainment Reporter
I'm not usually a fan of Martin Scorsese movies.
So competitive is the race for the coveted Best Picture Academy Award this year, it's even sparked some heated debate among Digital Spy staff as to which film is most deserving of the prize. With one person's ideal Best Picture winner totally different to another, we decided to throw them all together to make an argument for personal favourites...
Oscars 2014 poll: Who do you want to win?
The Wolf of Wall Street - Ben Lee, Entertainment Reporter
I'm not usually a fan of Martin Scorsese movies.
- 2/22/2014
- Digital Spy
Every day, from now until the weekend of the 2014 Academy Awards, HeyUGuys will be publishing an article championing one of the nine films in contention for the coveted Best Picture Oscar.
We begin with Viv Mah‘s take on Stephen Frear’s Philomena, whose screenplay earned Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope a BAFTA this past weekend. It remains an outsider, but is a touching and often very funny film with a stunning performance from Dame Judi Dench.
There’s a quote by St Augustine which goes like this: “Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.” Forgive me for my semantics and sentimentality, but it’s fast occurring to me that I’ve read nothing truer of the human condition and the way we compartmentalise our reactions to tragedy and loss than this.
We begin with Viv Mah‘s take on Stephen Frear’s Philomena, whose screenplay earned Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope a BAFTA this past weekend. It remains an outsider, but is a touching and often very funny film with a stunning performance from Dame Judi Dench.
There’s a quote by St Augustine which goes like this: “Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.” Forgive me for my semantics and sentimentality, but it’s fast occurring to me that I’ve read nothing truer of the human condition and the way we compartmentalise our reactions to tragedy and loss than this.
- 2/18/2014
- by Viv Mah
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
3D space disaster movie wins six awards at Royal Opera House, including best director and best British film
It was a contest between two wildly different films – a 3D space disaster movie and an unflinching portrayal of 19th-century American slavery – and on paper it was the former, Gravity, which emerged as the biggest winner at the 2014 Bafta ceremony.
It won six awards, including best director and best British film. But 12 Years a Slave unquestionably picked up the biggest prize, best film, with Chiwetel Ejiofor named as best actor.
In a year when no one film swept the board, American Hustle also came away with three prizes.
Alfonso Cuarón was named best director and said you would not know it from his accent but he considered himself a part of the British film industry. He has lived in London for 13 years and joked: "I make a very good case for curbing immigration.
It was a contest between two wildly different films – a 3D space disaster movie and an unflinching portrayal of 19th-century American slavery – and on paper it was the former, Gravity, which emerged as the biggest winner at the 2014 Bafta ceremony.
It won six awards, including best director and best British film. But 12 Years a Slave unquestionably picked up the biggest prize, best film, with Chiwetel Ejiofor named as best actor.
In a year when no one film swept the board, American Hustle also came away with three prizes.
Alfonso Cuarón was named best director and said you would not know it from his accent but he considered himself a part of the British film industry. He has lived in London for 13 years and joked: "I make a very good case for curbing immigration.
- 2/17/2014
- by Mark Brown
- The Guardian - Film News
David O Russell and Eric Warren Singer pick up the third award of the evening for American Hustle, while Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope win best adapted screenplay prize
American Hustle has won its third Bafta of the evening, for best original screenplay, written by David O Russell and Eric Warren Singer. Russell celebrated his actors in his acceptance speech, saying: "They make me write better and do everything better, because of their humanity."
Meanwhile, the adapted screenplay award was won by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope for their work on Philomena, which Coogan also produced and co-starred in. Coogan thanked Martin Sixsmith (the journalist he portrayed in the film), Philomena Lee (whose story the film is based on) and he highlighted "the 60,000 other women" who are still, like Philomena before them, searching for children given up for adoption by Irish convents.
After mistaking his producer for theatre impresario Cameron Mackintosh,...
American Hustle has won its third Bafta of the evening, for best original screenplay, written by David O Russell and Eric Warren Singer. Russell celebrated his actors in his acceptance speech, saying: "They make me write better and do everything better, because of their humanity."
Meanwhile, the adapted screenplay award was won by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope for their work on Philomena, which Coogan also produced and co-starred in. Coogan thanked Martin Sixsmith (the journalist he portrayed in the film), Philomena Lee (whose story the film is based on) and he highlighted "the 60,000 other women" who are still, like Philomena before them, searching for children given up for adoption by Irish convents.
After mistaking his producer for theatre impresario Cameron Mackintosh,...
- 2/17/2014
- by Ben Beaumont-Thomas
- The Guardian - Film News
Steve McQueen talks about modern slavery as 12 Years A Slave wins best film; Cate Blanchett dedicates her BAFTA to Philip Seymour Hoffman; Barkhad Abdi says Greengrass believed in him before he believed in himself.Click here for the full list of winners
Host Stephen Fry welcomed the star-studded crowd by saying the BAFTAs are “the greatest night of the British film calendar, if there is such a thing.” He joked that there were “faces so familiar you want to lick them.”
He welcomed guests including Prince William, President of the Academy, into “the plush womb of the resplendent Royal Opera House” in Covent Garden, London.
Fry got Leonardo DiCaprio to blow a kiss into the camera.
Tinie Tempah and Laura Mvula kicked off the show with a duet of Heroes, and Tempah set the mood for a lively evening by high-five-ing Prince William.
Outstanding British Film
Oprah Winfrey, nominated for The Butler, presented the Outstanding...
Host Stephen Fry welcomed the star-studded crowd by saying the BAFTAs are “the greatest night of the British film calendar, if there is such a thing.” He joked that there were “faces so familiar you want to lick them.”
He welcomed guests including Prince William, President of the Academy, into “the plush womb of the resplendent Royal Opera House” in Covent Garden, London.
Fry got Leonardo DiCaprio to blow a kiss into the camera.
Tinie Tempah and Laura Mvula kicked off the show with a duet of Heroes, and Tempah set the mood for a lively evening by high-five-ing Prince William.
Outstanding British Film
Oprah Winfrey, nominated for The Butler, presented the Outstanding...
- 2/16/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Steve McQueen talks about modern slavery as 12 Years A Slave wins best film; Cate Blanchett dedicates her BAFTA to Philip Seymour Hoffman; Barkhad Abdi says Greengrass believed in him before he believed in himself.
Host Stephen Fry welcomed the star-studded crowd by saying the BAFTAs are “the greatest night of the British film calendar, if there is such a thing. “ He joked that there were “faces so familiar you want to lick them.”
He welcomed guests including Prince William, President of the Academy, into “the plush womb of the resplendent Royal Opera House” in Covent Garden, London.
Fry got Leonardo DiCaprio to blow a kiss into the camera.
Tinie Tempah and Laura Mvula kicked off the show with a duet of Heroes.
Oprah Winfrey, nominated for The Butler, presented the Outstanding British Film prize to Gravity. Producer David Heyman said the prize was “beyond belief and best of all it recognises everybody involved with the film, we...
Host Stephen Fry welcomed the star-studded crowd by saying the BAFTAs are “the greatest night of the British film calendar, if there is such a thing. “ He joked that there were “faces so familiar you want to lick them.”
He welcomed guests including Prince William, President of the Academy, into “the plush womb of the resplendent Royal Opera House” in Covent Garden, London.
Fry got Leonardo DiCaprio to blow a kiss into the camera.
Tinie Tempah and Laura Mvula kicked off the show with a duet of Heroes.
Oprah Winfrey, nominated for The Butler, presented the Outstanding British Film prize to Gravity. Producer David Heyman said the prize was “beyond belief and best of all it recognises everybody involved with the film, we...
- 2/16/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
12 Years A Slave wins best film; Cate Blanchett dedicates her BAFTA to Philip Seymour Hoffman; Gravity rakes in awards for Best Director, British Film, Sound, Music, Cinematography and VFX awards; Barkhad Abdi is surprise winner of Supporting Actor, Coogan and Pope win for Philomena’s Adapted Screenplay;
Host Stephen Fry welcomed the star-studded crowd by saying the BAFTAs are “the greatest night of the British film calendar, if there is such a thing. “ He joked that there were “faces so familiar you want to lick them.”
He welcomed guests including Prince William, President of the Academy, into “the plush womb of the resplendent Royal Opera House” in Covent Garden, London.
Fry got Leonardo DiCaprio to blow a kiss into the camera.
Tinie Tempah and Laura Mvula kicked off the show with a duet of Heroes.
Oprah Winfrey, nominated for The Butler, presented the Outstanding British Film prize to Gravity. Producer David Heyman said the prize was “beyond...
Host Stephen Fry welcomed the star-studded crowd by saying the BAFTAs are “the greatest night of the British film calendar, if there is such a thing. “ He joked that there were “faces so familiar you want to lick them.”
He welcomed guests including Prince William, President of the Academy, into “the plush womb of the resplendent Royal Opera House” in Covent Garden, London.
Fry got Leonardo DiCaprio to blow a kiss into the camera.
Tinie Tempah and Laura Mvula kicked off the show with a duet of Heroes.
Oprah Winfrey, nominated for The Butler, presented the Outstanding British Film prize to Gravity. Producer David Heyman said the prize was “beyond...
- 2/16/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Philomena Lee, whose search for the son sold for adoption by nuns was turned into a film, has met Pope Francis in Rome
• Lee and Coogan on meeting the pope: 'Those nuns would be jealous now'
Philomena Lee, whose young son was sold for adoption by nuns in 1955, has met with Pope Francis in Rome.
Lee, 80, was accompanied by her daughter, Jane Libbteron, and by Steve Coogan, the star, co-writer and producer of Philomena, the Oscar-nominated film based on her case. The contingent were representing The Philomena Project, a campaign which calls on the Irish government to enact legislation to open up adoption records and reunite mothers separated from their children as a result of forced adoption.
They attended mass in St Peter's Square before the audience with the Pope. A screening of the film is expected to take place in the Vatican this afternoon, before a press conference on Thursday morning.
• Lee and Coogan on meeting the pope: 'Those nuns would be jealous now'
Philomena Lee, whose young son was sold for adoption by nuns in 1955, has met with Pope Francis in Rome.
Lee, 80, was accompanied by her daughter, Jane Libbteron, and by Steve Coogan, the star, co-writer and producer of Philomena, the Oscar-nominated film based on her case. The contingent were representing The Philomena Project, a campaign which calls on the Irish government to enact legislation to open up adoption records and reunite mothers separated from their children as a result of forced adoption.
They attended mass in St Peter's Square before the audience with the Pope. A screening of the film is expected to take place in the Vatican this afternoon, before a press conference on Thursday morning.
- 2/6/2014
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Success of Judi Dench film allows real-life mother in forced adoption scandal to pressure Us lawmakers over similar cases
• Philomena Lee issues letter defending film against anti-Catholic charge
Philomena Lee, the Irish woman who provided true life inspiration for Judi Dench's determined mother in the Oscar-nominated Stephen Frears drama Philomena is using the film's success to push for a law change that will help reunite families long lost to each other.
Philomena Lee spent time meeting Us senators in Washington DC yesterday as part of her campaign to reunite Irish parents with the children from whom they were forcibly separated and sold to foreign adoptive families in the Us decades ago. Frears's film, which was co-written by star Steve Coogan, reveals how Philomena was made to give her baby up by the Irish Catholic church institution where she was living in 1952 after falling pregnant out of wedlock at the...
• Philomena Lee issues letter defending film against anti-Catholic charge
Philomena Lee, the Irish woman who provided true life inspiration for Judi Dench's determined mother in the Oscar-nominated Stephen Frears drama Philomena is using the film's success to push for a law change that will help reunite families long lost to each other.
Philomena Lee spent time meeting Us senators in Washington DC yesterday as part of her campaign to reunite Irish parents with the children from whom they were forcibly separated and sold to foreign adoptive families in the Us decades ago. Frears's film, which was co-written by star Steve Coogan, reveals how Philomena was made to give her baby up by the Irish Catholic church institution where she was living in 1952 after falling pregnant out of wedlock at the...
- 1/31/2014
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Most of this year's Oscar contenders are based on historical events – and there are academics waiting to pounce on every slip-up and blunder. But there is more to a great movie than getting the facts straight
• Top 10 biopics
• Alex von Tunzelmann's Reel History series
It's Oscars time again, and this year many of the big contenders have one thing in common. Two thirds of the contenders for best film are based on historical events. History also picks up four out of five best actor nominations, two out of five best actresses, and three out of five directors. So fierce has the competition among historical films become that it was reported that academic "history assassins" were paid handsomely by marketing consultants to spot errors in other studios' films. These errors would then be filtered out subtly through blogs, undermining rivals' Oscar hopes.
It was rumoured that sniping about the liberties...
• Top 10 biopics
• Alex von Tunzelmann's Reel History series
It's Oscars time again, and this year many of the big contenders have one thing in common. Two thirds of the contenders for best film are based on historical events. History also picks up four out of five best actor nominations, two out of five best actresses, and three out of five directors. So fierce has the competition among historical films become that it was reported that academic "history assassins" were paid handsomely by marketing consultants to spot errors in other studios' films. These errors would then be filtered out subtly through blogs, undermining rivals' Oscar hopes.
It was rumoured that sniping about the liberties...
- 1/31/2014
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
Philomena tells the true story of Philomena Lee's search for the son that the Catholic Church took from her as a teenager in the 1950s. Lee (played by Judi Dench, who was just nominated for the Best Actress Oscar) spends years trying to find out what had become of her son and, with the help of journalist Martin Sixsmith (played by Steve Coogan), tries in vain to hunt him down. Once Lee and Sixsmith find out her son’s, Anthony, whereabouts and identity, the information leads to more heartbreak — Anthony, renamed Michael Hess, who was a closeted lawyer working for the Republican National Committee, had died from AIDS complications several years earlier. Hess, like his birth mother, had contacted the Catholic Church to find his family and had been lied to by the nuns who had given him away. “I was really very sad that he had actually passed away without me ever,...
- 1/16/2014
- Uinterview
By Mark Pinkert
Contributor
…
At the ripe age of 79, Judi Dench could become the second oldest woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. She’s a likely nominee by way of Philomena (2013), a British comedy-drama in which Philomena Lee (Dench) pairs up with an out-of-work journalist, Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), to find the son she was forced to give up 50 years earlier. An Academy win would make Dench the second oldest Best Actress behind only Jessica Tandy, who won the award at the age of 80 as Mrs. Daisy Werthan in Driving Miss Daisy (1989), and only the third Best Actress to receive the award while over the age of 65 (Katharine Hepburn won for On Golden Pond (1981) when she was 74 years old).
Dench–known more for her icy, matriarchal roles–is illuminated and humorous in Philomena, and she handles this role with great dexterity. But while she’s an almost guaranteed Best Actress nom,...
Contributor
…
At the ripe age of 79, Judi Dench could become the second oldest woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. She’s a likely nominee by way of Philomena (2013), a British comedy-drama in which Philomena Lee (Dench) pairs up with an out-of-work journalist, Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), to find the son she was forced to give up 50 years earlier. An Academy win would make Dench the second oldest Best Actress behind only Jessica Tandy, who won the award at the age of 80 as Mrs. Daisy Werthan in Driving Miss Daisy (1989), and only the third Best Actress to receive the award while over the age of 65 (Katharine Hepburn won for On Golden Pond (1981) when she was 74 years old).
Dench–known more for her icy, matriarchal roles–is illuminated and humorous in Philomena, and she handles this role with great dexterity. But while she’s an almost guaranteed Best Actress nom,...
- 1/11/2014
- by Mark Pinkert
- Scott Feinberg
I was worried that "Spectacular Now," the fantastic coming-of-age dramedy from director James Ponsoldt would be totally forgotten this awards season (well, like "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" last year, this film was just relegated to minor kudos) but leave it to the USC librarians for giving it love!
Nominations for the 26th Annual USC Scripter Awards, given to the best adapted screenplay by the USC Libraries and chosen by various critics, academians, and scriptwriters, have been revealed and "Spectacular Now" was deemed one of the best!
We'll see if the script by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will win (but I have a sneaky feeling that "12 Years a Slave" will grab the award) when the winner is revealed on Feb. 8.
Here's the complete nominations list of the 26th Annual USC Libraries Scripter Award:
Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty, authors of .A Captain.s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs,...
Nominations for the 26th Annual USC Scripter Awards, given to the best adapted screenplay by the USC Libraries and chosen by various critics, academians, and scriptwriters, have been revealed and "Spectacular Now" was deemed one of the best!
We'll see if the script by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will win (but I have a sneaky feeling that "12 Years a Slave" will grab the award) when the winner is revealed on Feb. 8.
Here's the complete nominations list of the 26th Annual USC Libraries Scripter Award:
Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty, authors of .A Captain.s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs,...
- 1/10/2014
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Carroll Cartwright and Nancy Doyne – screenwriters, and Henry James – author of the novel of the same name (What Maisie Knew) Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope – screenwriters, and Martin Sixsmith – author...
- 1/9/2014
- by Ryan Adams
- AwardsDaily.com
Dame Judi Dench already has one Oscar win, but will she be adding another trophy to the mantle this year? Dench stars alongside Steve Coogan in the independent flick "Philomena," based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, "The Lost Child of Philomena Lee." Playing the titular character in the film, Dench has picked up a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress, along with her nomination for the same award for the Screen Actors Guild. Coogan, who plays the aforementioned Sixsmith in the film, admitted he felt start-struck working alongside the living legend. “There were one or two times when I took a picture of me and Judi on set, and instantly e-mailed it to everyone I know," he said. “When she put the wig on, I thought: ‘I’d better pull my socks up. I’d better bring my ‘A’ game, be as good as I can possibly be,...
- 1/8/2014
- backstage.com
The Bafta-nominated co-writer and producer of Philomena tells Xan Brooks what it's like working with Harvey Weinstein during awards season and why he didn't get a best actor nomination
Steve Coogan blamed his lack of acting honours on the British "tall poppy syndrome" as his odd-couple drama Philomena picked up four nominations at this year's Bafta awards. The Manchester-born comedian found himself shortlisted for his behind-the-scene roles as producer and co-writer but conspicuously missed out on an acting nomination. His co-star Judi Dench was nominated in the best actress category.
"We have this tall poppy syndrome in the UK," Coogan told the Guardian. "It's a way of saying, 'You've done well but not too well, so keep your hair on'. But it's probably good for me. It keeps me in check."
Based on a true story, Philomena stars Dench as a retired Irish nurse who travels to the Us in search of her adult son.
Steve Coogan blamed his lack of acting honours on the British "tall poppy syndrome" as his odd-couple drama Philomena picked up four nominations at this year's Bafta awards. The Manchester-born comedian found himself shortlisted for his behind-the-scene roles as producer and co-writer but conspicuously missed out on an acting nomination. His co-star Judi Dench was nominated in the best actress category.
"We have this tall poppy syndrome in the UK," Coogan told the Guardian. "It's a way of saying, 'You've done well but not too well, so keep your hair on'. But it's probably good for me. It keeps me in check."
Based on a true story, Philomena stars Dench as a retired Irish nurse who travels to the Us in search of her adult son.
- 1/8/2014
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
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 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,...
- 1/7/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Philomena,” – based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee” – is looking like a winner at the box office. The independent feature, starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, has raked in nearly $20 million domestically, while taking in another $17 million overseas, according to Box Office Mojo. The film is also garnering Oscar buzz, picking up a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture, as well as Dench grabbing a nomination for Best Actress. “Our exit polls were as high as anything we’ve had, including "The Artist" and "The King’s Speech,"" Erik Lomis, president of distribution and home entertainment for The Weinstein Company, told Deadline.com. “Philomena” focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee (Dench), mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock — something her Irish-Catholic community didn’t have the highest opinion of — and given away for adoption in the United States. In following church doctrine,...
- 1/6/2014
- backstage.com
For Dublin native Consolata Boyle, designing the costumes for the fact-based "Philomena" -- her seventh collaboration with director Stephen Frears -- took on special significance. Certainly it's a powerful story about a mother's search for her long-lost son, amid the appalling revelation of forced adoptions in Ireland. But its greatest artistic appeal came from the witty "Odd Couple" pairing of Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. "It's a very brave film," Boyle contends. "There are moments of real lightheartedness and laughter and that propels the story along and reveals things about both characters during the search for her son. They reveal their inner selves through the meeting of opposites." And Boyle was able to convey the tone of their relationship through wardrobe: a delicate balancing act between Dench's playful Philomena and Coogan's uptight Martin Sixsmith. "I think we all felt very strongly to keep the costumes as simple as possible and that they must not.
- 12/31/2013
- by Bill Desowitz
- Thompson on Hollywood
Before the clock runs out on 2013, People's movie critic counts down her 10 favorite films of the year. Are your picks on the list? 10. Enough SaidHalf of my favorite movies of the year had great roles for actresses over 40, starting right here with Nicole Holofcener's vulnerable, witty comedy about dating and single parenthood. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is deeply relatable as Eva, schlepping her massage table around Los Angeles, along with her mountain of insecurities. The late James Gandolfini is all things sweet and sexy as Albert, just as nervous as Eva, but a bit more game to take a chance. This...
- 12/31/2013
- by Alynda Wheat, People Movie Critic
- PEOPLE.com
A gifted comic actor, Steve Coogan is best known for character creations such as Alan Partridge (recently brought to the big screen in "Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa"), Tommy Saxondale, Paul Calf and more. A dexterous improviser, and remarkable impressionist, Coogan came to fame by making U.K. audiences laugh large and hard, so many were surprised when the actor took on a true story about an elderly woman searching for the son she lost during her tough teenage years spent in a convent. But the results have been impressive. Winning a screenwriting prize at the Venice Film Festival (Coogan co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Pope), a runner up for the highly prized People's Choice Award Tiff and a Golden Globe nominee for Best Picture, Best Actress (for Judi Dench) and Best Screenplay, "Philomena" has seen Coogan move the goal posts of his career into new territory. In addition to writing and producing the movie,...
- 12/23/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
On Monday December 16 the St. Louis Film Critics released their list of the best of 2013 in several different categories including Best Comedy, Best Art House Film, and Best Scene . Yours truly was there for the process that began earlier in the month as ballots were sent online to members. On Sunday December 8 we met to whittle down the nominees to five, although in the case of a tie some had six nominees. With voting ending on Saturday December 14 we met once more on Sunday December 15 for the winners announcement. Here’s the official press release:
December 16, 2013
Press Release
Contact:
St. Louis Film Critics Association
stlfilmcritics@gmail.com
www.stlfilmcritics.org
The St. Louis Film Critics, the professional association of working film critics in the St.Louis-area, announced the winners of its annual St. Louis Film Critics Awards on
Monday, December 16, 2013.
The yearly awards are given to recognize the best in cinema for the year.
December 16, 2013
Press Release
Contact:
St. Louis Film Critics Association
stlfilmcritics@gmail.com
www.stlfilmcritics.org
The St. Louis Film Critics, the professional association of working film critics in the St.Louis-area, announced the winners of its annual St. Louis Film Critics Awards on
Monday, December 16, 2013.
The yearly awards are given to recognize the best in cinema for the year.
- 12/20/2013
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
This story originally appeared in OscarWrap: Actors. Particularly in England, Steve Coogan has become known for the comedy of ineptitude (including his iconic character of Alan Partridge) and for testifying against tabloid reporters who tapped his phone and lovingly detailed his indiscretions in that country’s hacking scandal. But with “Philomena,” Coogan is co-starring with Judi Dench in a drama — and he’s playing his occasional foe, a reporter. Coogan got into this situation himself, co-producing and co-writing the screenplay. The film is based on the true story of reporter Martin Sixsmith, who helped an elderly woman track down the out-of-.
- 12/13/2013
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The nominations for the Golden Globes have been announced, with 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle earning seven nominations apiece in the movies field. Now that all the initial excitement has died down, attention will naturally turn to the movies and stars that missed out.
Over in TV both Mad Men and Homeland found themselves snubbed by the HFPA, but in movies there were a few omissions that have already raised eyebrows. Digital Spy takes a look below...
The Films
No question about it, The Butler's absence is the big shocker. The film is prime awards-bait drama: an acclaimed director in Lee Daniels, an all-star cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and John Cusack, and a based-on-real-life story that cuts right through recent history all seem like ingredients for Globes success.
Whitaker, Winfrey and the entire ensemble earned SAG nominations this week but found themselves shut out here,...
Over in TV both Mad Men and Homeland found themselves snubbed by the HFPA, but in movies there were a few omissions that have already raised eyebrows. Digital Spy takes a look below...
The Films
No question about it, The Butler's absence is the big shocker. The film is prime awards-bait drama: an acclaimed director in Lee Daniels, an all-star cast that includes Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and John Cusack, and a based-on-real-life story that cuts right through recent history all seem like ingredients for Globes success.
Whitaker, Winfrey and the entire ensemble earned SAG nominations this week but found themselves shut out here,...
- 12/12/2013
- Digital Spy
Steve Coogan co-wrote, co-produced, and co-starred in one of the year.s best films, .Philomena.. Starring Dame Judi Dench, the film is based on the investigative book by Martin Sixsmith called .The Lost Child of Philomena Lee.. Coogan is Sixsmith and Dench is Philomena in this thought-provoking film from director Stephen Frears.
I interviewed Coogan via satellite and we talked about:
*** At the heart of the film is faith and devotion . is that what attracted Coogan to making .Philomena?.
*** How this film is a passion project for him.
*** When I interviewed Coogan for .Hamlet 2,. I observed his penchant for turning human frailties into comedies
*** Coogan and Dench . the buddy pairing we all want to see!
*** He loved when I said . .Philomena. still makes you feel good but you won.t be hating yourself for doing so!
I interviewed Coogan via satellite and we talked about:
*** At the heart of the film is faith and devotion . is that what attracted Coogan to making .Philomena?.
*** How this film is a passion project for him.
*** When I interviewed Coogan for .Hamlet 2,. I observed his penchant for turning human frailties into comedies
*** Coogan and Dench . the buddy pairing we all want to see!
*** He loved when I said . .Philomena. still makes you feel good but you won.t be hating yourself for doing so!
- 12/3/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
While its title is as simple and unremarkable as the lifeless posters advertising it, Philomena has a lot more going on than some other awards horses coming out the gate this time of year. On the surface, it’s a featherweight film about a cynical man helping a little old lady reunite with her long lost son, one that leans into the age and class gap separating the central partnership for all it’s worth, and then some. Looking to do more though, Philomena works to achieve dramatic balance and comedic tilt out of conflicts between faith and skepticism, wealth and modesty, pomp and practicality, as well as all manner of other unlikely pairings.
The most engaging of its comparisons is the one drawn between fact and truth, and how personal history becomes a narrative when seen from the outside. Martin Sixsmith no doubt wrestled with this distinction when writing...
The most engaging of its comparisons is the one drawn between fact and truth, and how personal history becomes a narrative when seen from the outside. Martin Sixsmith no doubt wrestled with this distinction when writing...
- 11/28/2013
- by Sam Woolf
- We Got This Covered
Subject of Stephen Frears's drama about a women forcibly separated from her child takes on critic who says film is 'hateful' attack on Catholics
• Tom Shone: Judi Dench re-introduces herself to America as comedian of Philomena
• Philomena: Weinsteins win MPAA appeal against R rating
Philomena Lee, the real life subject of the acclaimed forced-adoption drama Philomena, has issued a letter defending the film against accusations that it is "anti-Catholic".
Responding specifically to a review in the New York Post that called the film "hateful and boring", the letter published by Deadline replied directly to the Post's critic, Kyle Smith. "Your review of the movie paints its story as being a condemnation of Catholicism and conservative views. It states that the relationship depicted between Mr Martin Sixsmith and myself comes across as contrived and trite, and funny for all the wrong reasons. Forgive me for saying so, Kyle, but you are incorrect.
• Tom Shone: Judi Dench re-introduces herself to America as comedian of Philomena
• Philomena: Weinsteins win MPAA appeal against R rating
Philomena Lee, the real life subject of the acclaimed forced-adoption drama Philomena, has issued a letter defending the film against accusations that it is "anti-Catholic".
Responding specifically to a review in the New York Post that called the film "hateful and boring", the letter published by Deadline replied directly to the Post's critic, Kyle Smith. "Your review of the movie paints its story as being a condemnation of Catholicism and conservative views. It states that the relationship depicted between Mr Martin Sixsmith and myself comes across as contrived and trite, and funny for all the wrong reasons. Forgive me for saying so, Kyle, but you are incorrect.
- 11/28/2013
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Chicago – Although “Philomena” sounds like a faraway land, it actually is a name of a real Irish lady, who lost her son through a Catholic adoption service that was designed to hide her out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Judi Dench portrays the title character as an older woman, with Steve Coogan as the reporter trying to help locate the son for her.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
This is basically a two character story, with the old lady and the reporter discovering something about themselves through the process. They travel together, they make discoveries together and ultimately come to conclusions about the circumstance together. The is partially a film about the Catholic Church – and their unique ability to sweep harsh sins under the rug – and it is also a testament to that church, whose power with their followers include a deep and abiding forgiveness. Comic actor Steve Coogan also co-wrote the screenplay, and matches Dame Judi in performance,...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
This is basically a two character story, with the old lady and the reporter discovering something about themselves through the process. They travel together, they make discoveries together and ultimately come to conclusions about the circumstance together. The is partially a film about the Catholic Church – and their unique ability to sweep harsh sins under the rug – and it is also a testament to that church, whose power with their followers include a deep and abiding forgiveness. Comic actor Steve Coogan also co-wrote the screenplay, and matches Dame Judi in performance,...
- 11/27/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
abstew here. Dame Judi Dench returned to theaters this weekend with the Oscar-buzzing Philomena. (She gets Oscar buzz for nearly everything she's in. She even makes it happen with James Bond films!)
I had a teacher that used to say
Ask me my three favorite actresses and the answer is: Judi Dench, Judi Dench, Judi Dench.
And as great as Dame Judi is in the film, Steve Coogan (who also adapted the screenplay) is equally strong as the investigative reporter helping Philomena, Martin Sixsmith. The two play off each other well in a salty, sweet relationship.
There's a scene in the film which is bound to catch the attention of cinephiles...
They enter the convent where Philomena's son was taken from her ('The Sisters of No Mercy,' as Sixsmith snarkly calls it) to investigate what happened. On the wall in the waiting room is an autographed photo of actress Jane Russell.
I had a teacher that used to say
Ask me my three favorite actresses and the answer is: Judi Dench, Judi Dench, Judi Dench.
And as great as Dame Judi is in the film, Steve Coogan (who also adapted the screenplay) is equally strong as the investigative reporter helping Philomena, Martin Sixsmith. The two play off each other well in a salty, sweet relationship.
There's a scene in the film which is bound to catch the attention of cinephiles...
They enter the convent where Philomena's son was taken from her ('The Sisters of No Mercy,' as Sixsmith snarkly calls it) to investigate what happened. On the wall in the waiting room is an autographed photo of actress Jane Russell.
- 11/27/2013
- by abstew
- FilmExperience
Exclusive: It sure isn’t easy being a Catholic these days, especially on a movie screen. Philomena Lee, subject of the just-released Oscar season film Philomena, has taken the unusual step of directly answering a New York Post critic who slammed the Stephen Frears-directed adaptation of her story as an attack on the Catholic faith, as well as Republicans. Lee is played in the film by Judi Dench, and her story is a crusher: She was sent to a Catholic abbey in Ireland as a teen after she got pregnant and, as was the custom then, was compelled to sign away her rights to the child. She still cared for him for the first three years of his life while she worked as an indentured laundry lady, and then saw her son given up for adoption. The movie is about how, after keeping this a shameful secret for 50 years,...
- 11/27/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Philomena is the joyful movie of 2013.
The emotional story is inspired by true events, tinged with both tragedy and comedy, about two very different people who join forces for a remarkable road trip. They are seeking to uncover the truth behind a heartbreaking story that has remained a mystery for half a century.
Philomena Lee, an Irishwoman in her 70’s, became pregnant as a teenager in 1952. Her family abandoned her out of shame and sent her to a convent in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, where, along with other young girls in the same predicament, she was regarded as ‘a fallen woman’. In compensation for the nuns taking her in and looking after her during childbirth she was made to work in the laundry there and only allowed access to her young son, Anthony, for an hour a day. When he was only three Anthony was taken from the convent against her...
The emotional story is inspired by true events, tinged with both tragedy and comedy, about two very different people who join forces for a remarkable road trip. They are seeking to uncover the truth behind a heartbreaking story that has remained a mystery for half a century.
Philomena Lee, an Irishwoman in her 70’s, became pregnant as a teenager in 1952. Her family abandoned her out of shame and sent her to a convent in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, where, along with other young girls in the same predicament, she was regarded as ‘a fallen woman’. In compensation for the nuns taking her in and looking after her during childbirth she was made to work in the laundry there and only allowed access to her young son, Anthony, for an hour a day. When he was only three Anthony was taken from the convent against her...
- 11/27/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Weinstein Company opened “Philomena,” the Stephen Frears-directed drama starring Judi Dench, in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles this weekend and it took in $133,716 for a strong $33,429 per-location average. Dench plays Philomena Lee, an Irish woman who searches for her son that she was forced to give up for adoption as a teenager. The film is based on BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith’s “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee.” British comedian Steve Coogan co-stars in the film, which he co-wrote with Jeff Pope, as a journalist who helps Lee search for her child. Also read: ‘Hunger Games: Catching.
- 11/24/2013
- by Todd Cunningham
- The Wrap
The amiable and quietly infuriating Philomena is, appropriately enough, cut from the same cloth as its reality-based main character, Philomena Lee: discontent to wallow in its own grief, it opts instead for a positive outlook. Considering the injustices and insults suffered by Lee and our tendency as onlookers to jump to our feet in righteous indignation, this is no small accomplishment, making for one of the most unexpectedly moving movies of the season.
Philomena tells the true tale of Lee (Judi Dench), a mild-mannered Irish biddy who, though comfortably nestled in retirement in her small rural town, decides to come clean with a long-held secret: when just a girl, she had a child out of wedlock. Though she had no idea what was going on with her body (her mother was dead and the nuns at her school did not teach sex education), her humiliated father dropped her off at...
Philomena tells the true tale of Lee (Judi Dench), a mild-mannered Irish biddy who, though comfortably nestled in retirement in her small rural town, decides to come clean with a long-held secret: when just a girl, she had a child out of wedlock. Though she had no idea what was going on with her body (her mother was dead and the nuns at her school did not teach sex education), her humiliated father dropped her off at...
- 11/22/2013
- by Brian Juergens
- The Backlot
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