A Special M.essage From The Weinstein Co.

Those Weinsteins are a crafty pair, aren’t they? Apparently infamous for their on and off battle with the MPAA (the American film classification body), they released a small video on their YouTube channel to challenge their rating of Philomena. An R rating does seem a tad harsh, as the swearing is both minimal and in a justifiable context. The subject matter is challenging, but teenagers should not be prohibited from its exposure. Quite the opposite.

However, The Weinstein Company’s 22 second video opens with Judi Dench dressed as M from James Bond announcing “just when you thought I was dead”. This cross referencing is a sneaky bit of campaigning, drawing different audiences to a potentially niche film, boosting awareness for Philomena, and highlighting Dench’s versatility – a very influential factor on the Oscar ballots. Leading Actress nomination? I think so.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7bscyDT6tI&w=853&h=480]