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Tag: Steve Coogan

  • Judi Dench Shines in ‘Philomena’

    Judi Dench Shines in ‘Philomena’

    Judi Dench is back on the big screen in Philomena, and critics dub her the ‘best reason‘ for seeing the new film. Part comedy, part heart wrenching emotion–Philomena showcases Dench in a way she has seldom been seen.

    Spanning the gamut from playing James Bond’s infamous M, to being known as a British theater icon, Judi Dench now shines as a little old Irish lady in Philomena–and she does so magnificently.

    Originally rated R, Philomena was recently granted a much-needed reduction to a PG-13 rating. It did, however, take a war on Harvey Weinstein’s part–waged with the MPAA, in order to reach the new rating. Initially rated R for two ‘utterances of the F-word,’ Weinstein won the war by exhibiting clips from other films that met the PG-13 criteria while including similar–if not the same–expletives.

    The L.A. Times touts Judi Dench’s performance in Philomena as ‘genius work.’

    “Judi Dench’s performance in ‘Philomena‘ is genius work, propelling the film past a rocky start and into its solid, dramatic story,” their critic writes.

    Twitter fans are chiming in on Judi Dench, her performance and her recent remarks about Philomena.

    Philomena is about a woman named Philomena Lee (played by Judi Dench) who was forced to give her son up for adoption. Many years later–after raising her family–Lee meets and befriends a BBC reporter named Martin Sixsmith (played by Steve Coogan) and sets out to find the child she named Anthony, and whom she watched from a convent window as he was carried away by an American couple–sold for 1000 pounds.

    Lest viewers fear the film is too deep, do note that bits of comedy emerge from time to time, thanks to Steve Coogan, who is one of Britain’s top comics. Some believe this gets the film off to an ‘unsteady start, while others may find it somewhat comforting–noting that the entire film won’t tear their hearts to shreds. He and Judi Dench play off one another with amazing ease.

    Philomema opened November 22nd in limited release. Hopefully it will soon open nationwide, allowing Judi Dench and her fans to see her eloquent performance.

    Image via Wikipedia

  • Judi Dench Walks Red Carpet Six Weeks After Surgery

    Pesky knee surgery wasn’t keeping Dame Judi Dench away from the red carpet in mid-October, and she planned it that way.

    Dench, who has had trouble with her right knee for years, finally had surgery on September 6, getting a knee replacement. She told her doctor, “On October 16 I will walk up a red carpet unaided,” and that’s exactly what she did for her most recent film, Philomena.

    The iconic actress is more than happy to show the scar that couldn’t keep her down. She showed it to The Daily Mirror, saying, “The scar’s from here to here, there to there. I have a completely new knee now. It’s brilliant.”

    Walking without a cane, just six weeks (SIX WEEKS!) after knee surgery is no small feat for anyone, but the 78-year-old Dench did what many wouldn’t dare to do. “You set your mind to a goal and go for it,” said Dench.

    Nothing is slowing this Dame down – be it surgery, or the milestone birthday coming up next year. Age is obviously only a number to Dench, who looks much younger than her almost 80 years of life. Still, don’t mention she’ll be turning 80 next year, it’s quite a “filthy” thing to say. “Don’t say ‘old’, don’t say ‘retired’, don’t say ‘80’. I’m not even considering retiring,” said Dench.

    Dench is defying the odds of Hollywood by continuing to have such an amazing career at her age. Dench said, “We are in the minority of people who are doing a job we chose to do and can make a living at. Why aren’t we running to work every day?”

    “I’m not feeling my age at all. I am about 43, a tall willowy blonde 43-year-old with long legs.” She continues, “I don’t want to slow down at all. We don’t say the word retirement in our house. Old and retired are totally banned. Energy keeps me going.”

    Dench’s only hindrance may be her eyesight, but she’s found a way to get around that. In February of this year, Dench let the world know she had been diagnosed with macular degeneration, which could lead to blindness. But in true Dench fashion, she didn’t let that get her down. She’s hopeful that new treatments will slow down the progressive decline. And while it’s difficult to see faces or read, she has friends or family read scripts to her. “Somebody reads the script to me and that’s the way I like it, regardless whether I can see or not. It is much better having the story told to you, because ultimately that’s what the job is, telling an audience the story,” said Dench.

    Something else that will continue for Dench is her cheeky behavior. Just recently, Dench admitted that the tattoo of Harvey Weinstein’s name on her derriere was a fake. Dench said, “He still thinks it’s tattooed. My make-up lady painted it on, and when I met him in New York I told him. He dismissed it, so I showed him and said, ‘Here you are!’”

    You can watch the trailer for Dench’s new film, Philomena, with Steve Coogan in the video below.

    [Image via YouTube.]