Tag: Steve Coogan

Don’t Miss “Philomena” (Short Review)

Coogan DenchIf you missed Philomena (2013) when it was in theaters, do not make the same mistake now that it is available on video. While the Academy Award Best-Picture nominee may not have garnered the attention of films like American Hustle, 12 Years a Slave, and Gravity, the relatively modest story of a woman searching for her child given up for adoption is one of the best films in recent years.

Philomena is based on the true story of Philomena Lee, played in the movie by Judi Dench, who after becoming pregnant as a young woman in Ireland in the 1950s, is sent to live at an abbey where the nuns give away her child. The movie, based on the book The Lost Child of Philomena by journalist Martin Sixsmith, follows her quest many years later to find out what happened to the child. In the search, she engages the help of Sixsmith, played by Steve Coogan, who also co-wrote the screenplay and co-produced the movie. The movie follows this odd couple and their two different motivations to reach the same goal.

I do not want to tell more about the story in case you have not read about it or have forgotten what you heard when the movie was out. But the movie accomplishes the rare feat of making you laugh, cry, and think. Coogan, who is popular in the UK but a bit of an undiscovered talent in the U.S., has shown his great humor skills in other films (and his talent for imitating Michael Caine). Here, he brings a sense of humor to Philomena, while also maintaining a level of seriousness and respect for the subject.

In addition to the Oscar nomination for Best Picture, the film garnered nominations for Best Actress, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score. The movie makes some minor dramatic changes from the book, such as making the book’s author one of the main characters, but it does an excellent job of tracing the heart of the true story. For more on the real Philomena, check out this article from The Atlantic.

Conclusion? Philomena is not a blockbuster with a lot of action, but you likely will be delighted by this clever and touching film. Below is the trailer for the movie, although beware that it reveals some additional facts about the story.

What did you think of Philomena? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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  • The Trip (Missed Movies)

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    The Trip (Missed Movies)

    The Trip Taking a road trip with a good buddy is bound to have two results: (1) your friend will get on your nerves; and (2) you will laugh more than you do at almost any other time in your life. Traveling through unfamiliar lands while spending 24/7 with another person forces you to bond with your travel companion in ways that would never happen in your regular life. The Trip (2010), like a real buddy road trip, contains very little plot but captures what a real-life adventure is like.

    The Trip, originally conceived as British TV series, stars British actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing fictionalized versions of themselves as they set out on a road trip to northern England. After a newspaper asks Coogan to go on a journey to visit and review fancy restaurants and his girlfriend decides not to go on the trip with him, he ends up traveling with Brydon. The two drive, eat, talk, bicker, do impressions, quote Wordsworth and Coleridge, annoy each other, and laugh together on the trip. One of the highlights of the movie Tristram Shandy – A Cock and Bull Story was the interaction between Coogan and Brydon, so it was great to see them together as a version of themselves here.

    While a similarly themed buddy-travel-movie Sideways focused on telling a story, The Trip focuses less on plot and more on capturing the real-life experience of traveling with someone you like but who also annoys you at times. There is a story about the contrast between Brydon’s life and Coogan’s more successful career balanced by womanizing loneliness. And there are beautiful shots of food being prepared and served. But the main point of the movie is the interaction between Coogan and Brydon, often improvised, and the way they try to one-up the other and get the other to laugh. One of the highlights of the film is their impressions, including their discussion of how to imitate actor Michael Caine.

    Years ago, I took a long road trip through the Western U.S. with a high school friend, and I kept thinking of that trip while watching The Trip. On my trip, my friend kept trying to explain everything we saw, showing off his knowledge. When I told him to stop, he kept insisting that he was not constantly explaining things. But then at one tourist site, I turned around and saw him explaining the actions of local animals to a few other tourists. When I caught his eye, it was a moment of amusement to both of us, and a moment of realization to him. In The Trip, there is a similar scene where after Bryson complains about Coogan acting like he knows everything, Coogan goes off and encounters another know-it-all.

    Conclusion? For me, The Trip realistically captures the adventures, aggravations, and joys of traveling with a friend. If you are looking for a movie with a compelling story or well-plotted laugh lines, you should choose another movie. But if you are in the mood for a lazy aimless trip with a couple of annoying companions who will make you laugh, then check out The Trip, which is now available on DVD.

    {Missed Movies is our continuing series on good films you might have missed because they did not receive the recognition they deserved when released.}

  • Don’t Miss “Philomena” (Short Review)
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