Mrs. Philomena Doubfire

Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here...

 

I’m not sure on which plane of reality this movie is in the same category as 12 Years A Slave but it is up for the same award. Shocking.

Let’s begin with the fact this felt a bit like Steve Coogan was in one movie and Judi Dench was in another.

The good (and by good I mean not total shite): I found Steve Coogan’s performance the only ‘high note’ in this dreadful film. While some of you may be inclined to think I’m giving him a pass because he’s a British gentleman, I’m not. His portrayal of Martin Sixsmith was a good mix of world-weary, self-interest and genuine curiosity. At no time did Sixsmith become a shining knight sent to right all wrongs and his even-handed treatment of situation was competently portrayed. He was funny at times, skeptical at times, affronted at times…you know, like a real human. That being said, there did seem, an incongruity to his grumpiness. In one scene he becomes taciturn for no apparent reason and it feels strange and awkwardly acted.

The bad: What I cannot forgive Steve Coogan for is being responsible for this screenplay.

The ugly: Judi Dench did not write this screenplay but one can only presume she read it before she agreed to the film. This role was a strange mix of befuddled, naiveté and seemingly out-of-the-blue sophistication in her world views. This is a woman who prattles on about romance novels and blathers about her hip replacement as if she is half way to dementia and in the next scene is cracking wise about the clitoris. I won’t even mention the BIG issue since some of you may yet see this and I won’t ruin the ‘plot twist’.

It’s not that people cannot have different facets and sides of their personality, we all do. What was impossible to ignore is that Judi Dench was acting like completely different people in these scenes. Kind of like ‘Sybil Looks for a Baby.’ At times it felt so over the top ‘sweet old lady’ I really did feel like Robin Williams might be under all those wrinkles somewhere.

This movie was filled with corniness that was meant to be endearing and heart-tugging situations that fell flat.

This was an interesting story. Too bad this was a boring movie portrayal of it.