Philomena

Dench inhabits the role. Her “Phil” is flinty, but guileless.

Dench's usual brilliance is fully utilized by director Stephen Frears.

...bowed to rapturous applause at the Venice film festival, is an ongoing, confounding delight of a film.

...most importantly the film is vindication of the underrated Steve Coogan, not only for his refined performance, a masterclass in restraint, but also for his effortless, subtle script...

There’s enormous pleasure to be had from watching these two pros playing characters engaged in the same quest but coming at it from dissimilarly arsenic-and-old-lace personalities.