Suspicious..

[Gob]

British film Philomena has been granted a less restrictive rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) after its US distributor campaigned to overturn its original certification.

The film, about a woman searching for the son she was forced to put up for adoption, had initially been rated 'R' for two instances of bad language.

The 'R' rating requires cinema patrons under 17 to be accompanied by an adult.

Dame Judi Dench's drama will now be a PG-13 when it comes out on 22 November.

The rating warns parents that "some material may be inappropriate for children under 13" but does not require them to be accompanied.

The MPAA reversed its original decision following a media campaign that saw Dame Judi resurrect her M character from the James Bond series in an online sketch.

Philomena is the true story of one mother’s search for her lost son.

Falling pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena was sent to the convent of Roscrea to be looked after as a “fallen woman”. When her baby was only a toddler, he was taken away by the nuns for adoption in America. Philomena spent the next fifty years searching for him in vain.

Then she met Martin Sixsmith, a world-weary political journalist who happened to be intrigued by her story. Together they set off for America on a journey that would not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena’s son, but also create an unexpectedly close bond between them.

http://philomenamovie.com/

In the UK, it's rated "12A"..

What does the 12A symbol mean?

12A means that anyone aged 12 or over can go and see the film unaccompanied. The A stands for 'accompanied' and 'advisory'. Children younger than 12 may see the film if they are accompanied by an adult (eg someone over the age of 18), who must watch the film with them.

I'll bet next months salary that the "R" rating was given in deference to the howling mad religious lobby in the USA.



(Kicking myself that we didn't take the time to watch this while we were in the UK.)

[Crackpot]

see this.

[Big RR]

Ever since Little Miss Sunshine was rated R, I've stopped paying attention to MPAA ratings.

edited to add:

And it isn't just the religious right; one reason I couldn't stand Al Gore is he and Tipper wanted to do the same to music in the name of "good parenting".

[Lord Jim]

Philomena is the true story of one mother’s search for her lost son.

Falling pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena was sent to the convent of Roscrea to be looked after as a “fallen woman”. When her baby was only a toddler, he was taken away by the nuns for adoption in America. Philomena spent the next fifty years searching for him in vain.

Then she met Martin Sixsmith, a world-weary political journalist who happened to be intrigued by her story. Together they set off for America on a journey that would not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena’s son, but also create an unexpectedly close bond between them.

You know, somehow I just don't see teenagers flocking to see that...

I doubt I'd stay awake through it either...

I'll bet next months salary that the "R" rating was given in deference to the howling mad religious lobby in the USA.

I'd take that bet...

I doubt that anyone in the "howling mad religious lobby" has even heard of this obscure foreign flick...

No point in arguing over the rating of a film that's likely to only run about a week in the few theaters it shows in...

This one's got "straight to DVD" written all over it...

[Gob]

True Jim, not for an American audience. Possibly requires a little thought.

Empire Damon Wise
A terrific, sophisticated comedy that tackles serious issues with a lightness of touch and a spirit of steel, Philomena is the British film to beat come BAFTA time.

Time Mary Corliss
Getting full comic effect from its class-comedy abrasions, Philomena rises to poignancy and profundity as Dench reveals her control of a character stained by the loss of her child and troubled by her suspicion.

The Playlist Oliver Lyttelton
It's certainly a crowd-pleaser...and something close to a triumph, if not an unqualified one.

Time Out London Dave Calhoun
It's a terrifically moving film that has a fitting earthbound feel to it.

The Guardian Xan Brooks
Its main focus is the sparky, shifting relationship between its two protagonists and its trump card the startling chemistry between its two main stars.

The Telegraph Robbie Collin
This is a heartbreaking story - how could it not be? But Frears' film breaks your heart and then repairs it.

Total Film
Odd-couple chemistry from Dench and Coogan, a smart script and honed direction make this real-life story highly compelling. Blending comedy and tragedy, it secretes a potent sting.

Variety Justin Chang
It's an undeniable whopper of a yarn and, coming after a string of middling efforts from Frears, easily the director's most compulsively watchable picture since “The Queen."

Critical response

Philomena received critical acclaim from reviewers upon release. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 94% based on reviews from 35 critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 81 based on 8 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim"

[Lord Jim]

None of that surprises me...

"Critics" frequently write glowing reviews of movies that most normal people would find duller than a two dollar knife...

It makes them feel superior...

A lot of them are "Modern Art" fans too...

[Gob]

Most of them liked that shite "the Codfather" or something....

[Crackpot]

Not all movies want to be blockbusters Jim. In fact one of the best movies I ever seen I will likely never watch again. It is just takes too much of an emotional toll. (Requiem for a Dream in case you're wondering). A movie I'd recommend for anyone regardless of their position on the drug debate.

[Lord Jim]

one of the best movies I ever seen I will likely never watch again. It is just takes too much of an emotional toll.

That's the way I feel about Schindler's List...

I'm glad I saw it, I think everyone should see it, but I'm never going to watch it again...

Not all movies want to be blockbusters Jim.

I like lots of movies that weren't "blockbusters" CP...

But most of them are dark comedies, (like The Ruling Class, The King Of Comedy) or sci-fi, or suspense thrillers or psycho-dramas (like The Assassination Of Richard Nixon) or off-beat surreal stuff, (like The King Of Hearts)...

But "3 hanky movies" tend to be "20 check-your-watch movies" for me...

Two hours of somebody riding around trying to find a kid they lost 50 years ago would have me fighting The Sandman in a big hurry...

[rubato]

Movies made for a demographic group are usually about that demographic group. As this is a movie about a female teen tragedy I suspect it will have a decent following among female teenagers.


yrs,
rubato

[rubato]

you just get the first seconds of the "M" takeoff. Find and post the whole thing if you can .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6lHHjUBa6k

yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

Falling pregnant as a teenager

Is it just like falling in love I wonder? Tripping on a kerb?

Anyway, sounds like a real yawn so that means I'll have to sit with the Mrs. and act as if it was great.

[Gob]

Two hours of somebody riding around trying to find a kid they lost 50 years ago would have me fighting The Sandman in a big hurry...

I'll give these a miss then;

Suburban family realizes the sterility of their existence and each is forced to lead a secret life of self-pity.

Crazy chain gang runaways sing their way out of trouble.

A journalist turned peeping tom investigates what all his neighbors are doing.

A dingo ate her baby.

A rich asshole dies.

[Lord Jim]

Movies made for a demographic group are usually about that demographic group. As this is a movie about a female teen tragedy I suspect it will have a decent following among female teenagers.


yrs,
rubato

Well, I'm not surprised you would think that rube, since you don't have any children of your own, and I suspect your own personal experience with teenage girls and movie going when you were a teenager was, (how shall I put this politely...) rather limited...

But in general, teenage girls do not go out to see movies in movie theaters as a group because those movies are designed for their "demographic group"...

Teenage girls generally go to the movies to see them with....

Wait for it...

Teenage boys....

And no teenage boy (unless he really thought he was going to get lucky if he sat through it) would ever be caught dead watching this flick...

I think it might be valuable for Tati to see this movie, but it's the kind of movie that she's going to watch as part of an English or Drama class assignment, (on DVD) not something she's going to want to see when she gets together with her friends at the multiplex at Stonestown Mall...

[Lord Jim]

A rich asshole dies.

Citizen Kane?

[Gob]

Got it.

[dgs49]

An "R" rating is pretty serious business, and can significantly impact the profitability of a film. This one had to be very borderline in the first instance, and it is not surprising that the MPAA reconsidered, on appeal.

To attribute this to some sort of conspiracy is silly. Either at first or later.

I would watch this film. I wouldn't PAY to watch it, but I'd give it a couple hours on the couch.

[Lord Jim]

Now this surprised me...

Philomena is not only my favorite film of 2013, but one of the most eloquent, powerful and perfect movies I have ever seen. A focused and triumphant performance by the miraculous Judi Dench keeps the harrowing aspects of a great story in flawless balance, and every other aspect of this film works like a hypnotic charm. Sensitively and carefully directed by Stephen Frears and brilliantly written by co-star Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that deserves genuflection...etc., etc., etc...

Read more at http://observer.com/2013/11/seek-and-ye ... z2nKrdeDQM

Now, what surprised me about this, is that this review, was written by Rex Reed...

Who I had assumed had died many years ago....



Yes, that's Rex with Mae West...(man, didn't she look good for her age in 1970...she was born in 1893...she was 77 when that flick was made...)

From the cult classic, Myra Breckinridge...

[Big RR]

No Jim, he's still around, although I didn't think he wrote for any paper (then again, I've never read the NY Observer) . I do recall him getting into trouble calling Melissa McCarthy a hippo in his review about Identity Thief (if I recall, the director was quoted as saying "Rex Reed can go fuck himself").

I used to like many of his reviews during the 70s and 80s; the one thing that would usually get me out to see a movie was his putting it on his 10 worst list, although I usually saw most of his 10 best as well.

[Scooter]

I only really remember him from The Gong Show.

Philomena was just nominated for Best Picture - Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress - Drama (Judi Dench) for the Golden Globes.