There are movies that entertain for a few hours, make you laugh or make you tear up with some sentimental, predictable fluff. There are movies that "shock and awe" for a few hours. Most of these are quickly forgotten. Philomena is a movie that makes you laugh, cry, gasp, cringe and ultimately sit in awe of this simple woman and her complex, deeply rooted faith. And it will NOT be soon forgotten. I knew the basic story of Philomena and thought I knew what to expect. As the movie progressed, there was one shock after the other as her journey took sudden turns, hit dead ends, reached yet another obstacle. How uncommon to hear an entire auditorium full of mature people gasp in unison at a surprising development. To hear others share your soft weeping at truly heart rendering scenes. The audience was fully invested in this woman's search. The acting was exemplary and the ending, while not tied up with a pretty ribbon, left my heart bursting with love for this amazing woman as portrayed by one of the greatest actresses of our time. To draw a clumsy analogy, the emotional roller coaster of Philomena felt like watching August: Osage County all over again, except without all the screaming and breaking of things! But it left me with the same breathlessness as the closing credits rolled. I will be watching closely on Oscar night and hoping that this wonderful film gets its proper due. BRAVO!!
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