Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
In classic screwball comedy tradition, everything in this delicious film takes place in a short span of time, with a tight circle of inter-related characters, and all much larger than life. It’s got old-fashioned romance, whip cracking dialogue, gooey gowns and overblown design, and it is an absolute treasure of a movie. My companions and I were transported by the story, soundtrack, and actors. Why, then, not Full Price Feature? Well, it’s not for everyone. But those of us for whom it is will not be disappointed. We certainly were not.
Frances McDormand (Fargo) is the titular governess who stumbles out of desperation into the employ of American glamour gal Delysia LaFosse (Amy Adams, most recently triumphant in Enchanted). Miss Pettigrew is veddy British and quite out of sorts in American party girl LaFosse’s pastel and gold den of iniquity and bubbly, innocent vice. Delysia juggles men and gossipy shrew friends and love like so many eggs, and Miss Pettigrew gets sucked up into the whirlwind of a very different, sordid world. It’s set in 1939, a glittery pre-war London, filled with parties and fashion, so nothing gets as seedy as I seem to be implying. But the magic of the movie is partially in how this world is portrayed, and watching Miss Pettigrew mold herself (or not) to reside within it.
To see Miss Pettigrew’s physical transformation is not enough - to see how her honesty and goodness (detriments to her previous employers) transform her world without changing who she is – that’s marvelous. Delysia transforms from within, perhaps along a more predictable path, but one you cheer all along. Many times Lives For A Day goes over the top, only to stay grounded after all by these two main characters. Both Delysia and Miss P. have their quiet terrors and complementary wisdom for each other. They free each other and find roots all in one motion. Adams and McDormand are beautifully matched on screen, especially as the beautiful and deadly people swirl all around them. My companions and I laughed out loud often and well. We oohed and aaahed at the sets and costumes as well. It was just a feast.
Of note, among the venomous swells and agenda-lugging lovers, Shirley Henderson (Edyth) and Ciaran Hinds (Joe) stand out as a pair; they see much and hide more, and provide elements of danger and excitement when you least expect them to. Every bon mot and arched eyebrow harkens back to those witty and delicious movies that took place during this same period, the ghoulish last parties of denial as World War II swung into action. The story is so satisfying, the spectacle so enjoyable and the dialogue so delectable, I can’t wait to see it again. Love it!
MPAA Rating PG-13
Release date 3/27/08
Time in minutes 92
Director Bharat Nalluri
Studio Focus Features
