PHILOMENA

"Philomena" is based on a true story about an elderly Irish woman searching for the toddler son she gave up for adoption as an unwed teen living in a convent. Most of its pleasures come from the way it confounds expectations.
From its odd-couple partnering of the usually stately Judi Dench and acerbic jester Steve Coogan (also co-writer and producer) to its remarkable cliché-avoiding yet still-emotional conclusion, the movie defies pigeonholing. What appears to be a simple sob fest eventually reveals itself to be a multi-faceted affair: part buddy comedy built upon class distinctions, part road trip adventure, and even part intriguing mystery.