Empire by 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.

Observer by Rex Reed

It’s profoundly moving and thoroughly mind provoking, but despite the poignant subject matter, I promise you will not leave Philomena depressed. I’ve seen it twice and felt exhilarated, informed, enriched, absorbed and optimistic both times.

Entertainment Weekly by Chris Nashawaty

Dench and Coogan's chemistry is undeniably great. In the end, he manages to give her the answers she seeks and she manages to give him a heart.

Portland Oregonian by Marc Mohan

Effective, fact-based melodrama that packs an unexpected emotional wallop.

The Film Stage by Christopher Schobert

Philomena has a few modest missteps, and a frustrating moment or two (Philomena is more forgiving than Martin – and the audience – want her to be), but the film is so moving, so brisk, and so sweet that it is hard to be left with anything resembling disappointment.

Time by 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 New York Times by Stephen Holden

Even through improbable moments and abrupt changes of pace and tone, Ms. Dench and Mr. Coogan hold the movie together.

The Hollywood Reporter by Deborah Young

Stephen Frears is in full possession of his filmmaking talent in Philomena, one of his most pulled-together dramas in years.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service by Roger Moore

Most credit goes to Coogan for the success of this odd coupling.

Rolling Stone by Peter Travers

It's Dench, showing how faith and hellraising can reside in the same woman, who makes Philomena moving and memorable.

The Playlist by Oliver Lyttelton

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

Village Voice by Inkoo Kang

The grande dame's performance, alternately goofy and grave, is an absolute tour de force.

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.

Time Out London by Dave Calhoun

It's a terrifically moving film that has a fitting earthbound feel to it.

The Telegraph by Robbie Collin

This is a heartbreaking story – how could it not be? But Frears’ film breaks your heart and then repairs it.

The Guardian by 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.

Variety by 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."

Slant Magazine by Jesse Cataldo

A human-interest story that claims spite for human-interest stories, the film has some pretty divisive issues at its core that leave it torn between contrasting approaches.