Philomena, a British-Irish film by Stephen Frears, tells the true story of Philomena Lee, an Irish woman who fell victim to the convents and laundries of the Madeleine sisters. Embodied by acclaimed British actress Judi Dench (Skyfall), the film is poignant and asks real questions about a scandal that shook the whole of Ireland. Not to be missed!
Philomena Lee, hugging her son before seeing him off for adoption
Philomena Lee is 50 years old when she decides to reveal her terrible secret to her family. When she was just 14, she was locked up in the Roscrea convent in 1952. Her crime: having conceived a child out of wedlock, following an innocent flirtation at a funfair.
At the time, Ireland was a deeply puritanical island, where priests wielded extremely strong power over towns and villages, and set the tone for how to be a good or bad Christian.
Women are the first victims: they’re easily branded as teasers or women of ill repute. They are sent without trial to the so-called Magdalene convents, terrifying places where they are forcibly confined, give birth on the spot, have their children taken away from them, and have to work for free… for the rest of their lives!
Heavily condemned by the establishment’s nuns, Philomena Lee is no exception to the rule. She was interned in a convent-laverie, gave birth quickly, and worked for the nuns. Worse still, she can only see her son Anthony for one hour a day.
Years go by. She watched helplessly as her own son, then aged 4, was adopted… without her consent. She sees her son leave, adopted by an unknown family.
Devastated, not a day goes by without her thinking about her son.
It’s only 50 years later, when she has been able to leave the convent, that she meets Martin Sixmith (played by Steve Coogan), a disillusioned and cynical journalist, who decides to set off with her in search of this lost son… A long journey through Ireland and the United States begins…
Philomena Lee and journalist Martin Sixmith
Philomena is a serious film that cannot be watched lightly.
Above all, it deals with a state scandal that has deeply fractured Ireland, a country that is deeply Catholic and attached to its faith.
But what can we say when we see the exactions that have gone on for years in these Madeleine convents? Despicable acts, showing a completely different face of the Irish Church, where the sisters show little regard for these women and children, forcibly placed in their establishments, condemned to mistreatment, confinement, malnutrition, and disrespect for their most inalienable civil rights.
And it’s in this respect that the film Philomena rekindles the most vivid wounds. It deals aptly with the suffering of a mother in search of the truth, who has lost her freedom, her life and her son… all for the sake of an allegedly dissolute life.
Played to perfection by Judi Dench, Philomena Lee is presented as a touching old lady, with her outspokenness, her good humor, and her taste for Readers Digest, but also for her modesty and implacable faith in God and the church, despite the injustices she herself has experienced.
A portrait that contrasts sharply with the journalist Martin Sixmith who decides to help him (played by British actor Steve Coogan), and who stands out for his atheism, cynicism and contempt for religious institutions.
The duet works wonderfully, and raises some real questions: Philomena Lee strangely and uncompromisingly forgives the Irish church for its misdeeds. Martin Sixmith, on the other hand, is consumed with resentment and anger at the convent.
A skilful way of opposing two fundamental points of view, and echoing the current reflections of today’s Ireland… deeply torn and divided on questions of the church, its role, and its abuses. (As a reminder, the Irish church is still the subject of major scandals linked not only to these convents, but also to sexual abuse and cases of mistreatment. Hundreds of children’s bones were even found under the Tuam convent. A macabre discovery that has sparked hatred and indignation among the Irish population).
In short, Philomena is a beautiful film that directly questions the viewer and puts faith, the quest for self and the power of forgiveness into perspective. A true story that’s sure to leave a lasting impression!
