Stephen Frears: The Chameleon

Director Stephen Frears is one of the most versatile, intelligent, and chameleon-like directors working today. Making films in England and the United States, moving deftly between comedy and drama, and between large-scale and intimate films, Frears makes movies with a sure hand but a style that is always defined by the story and the characters. His excellent new film, Philomena, is a case in point, a surprising blend of heartwarming comedy and biting political commentary centered on remarkable performances by Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. This selection of some of Frears’s finest films reminds us that behind his self-effacing style is a director who has made some of the most beloved films of the past two decades.