I really couldn't buy Frances McDormand with that accent. I felt it actually cheapened the whole thing - as did the London/Chicago attitudes of the characters. The story is nothing new. The characters are nothing new. However the focus on women's underwear was new, although completely random, and was the most exciting part of the whole movie... that should tell you something.
"Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" is a perfect example of a film with fairly tedious material completely enhanced with absolute brilliant casting. Whoever's idea it was to pair up the lovable Amy Adams and Frances McDormand should receive all sorts of medals. McDormand, consistently endearing and perhaps the woman with the best handle on the clueless happy-go-lucky types she's played in "Fargo" and "Burn After Reading", and Adams, who has won over everyone's hearts in everything from "Junebug" to "Enchanted", are charismatic and charming enough to make Ebenezer Scrooge crack a smile.
The film takes place in London in the 1930's - a country shadowed in poverty and unemployment after the war. But, don't get ahead of yourself, this film is far from gloomy. In fact, it's so cheerful it may make you sick. Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) is a nanny who has been fired from her agency and finds herself relying on soup kitchens to survive. When she receives an opportunity to steal a job from her former agency, she jumps on it. However, the job is not what she had expected - searching for a gig as a nanny, she finds herself posing as a social secretary of an actress/singer, Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams).
Thus begins the start of the 24 hour Cinderella story in which Guinevere provides balance for Delysia's lovelife whilst finding one for herself. Delysia's juggling three boyfriends - Nick (Mark Strong), whose place she's sleeping in when we first meet her, Phil (Tom Payne), a producer of a play she's auditioning for, and Michael (Lee Pace), a piano player. Guinevere finds a lovelife of her own when she meets one of the top clothing designers in all of London, Joe (Ciaran Hinds). The ruthless villainness of the story is Edythe (Shirley Henderson, who plays Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter story), who owns a clothing store.
"Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" is almost surreal in tone throughout it's first half. The complete over-the-top performances, limited sets, and nonstop jazz make you feel like you're watching some sort of play. Fortunately this movie doesn't completely crumble, as Frances McDormand and and Amy Adams are perhaps two of the most capable women of essentially overacting in a completely oddball manner. Film critic Michael Philips puts it best by saying they're performing for the second balcony - it's pace is so upbeat and suave that it's almost difficult to keep up.
Thankfully, however, the movie does begin to slow down and learn it's pace. We're no longer met with a constant score and squealing women, rather a fairly endearing and completely light-hearted story. You'll react to this in one of two ways - either complete and utter glee and satisfaction, or a burning hatred for such faceless cheer and happiness. You've never seen such an absurdly happy movie... "light-hearted", in this case, is the definition of an understatement.
While the film is rather irresistible and completely warm, there's still much about it that's completely ingenuine. The previously mentioned over-the-top performances can be distracting as you feel you're watching a cartoon rather than a motion picture. The setting itself can also come off as rather pretentious, especially when accompanied with a constant wit and at times grating endless score. I was begging for some more quiet moments.
What really makes "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" so magical is how well-intentioned and innocent it is. It's PG-13 due to some sexual innuendos and partial nudity from Amy Adams, but it's so remarkably un-pornographic that I wouldn't even say parents should have much to worry about. This is an enjoyable retelling of the overdone Cinderella story only hindered by sometimes distracting and inconsistent direction.
I am going to give this film the benifit of the doubt for a few reasons. First off: Amy Adams is so cute and can play anything! Second: Lee Pace from 'Pushing Dasises' was in it and that made me happy as I miss that show, and he played a nice likable guy (who gets mentaly castrated... I've payed too much attention in my FS 312 class). Third: The story was cute, smart and a little tragic knowing that most of the men in the movie would go off to war and die very soon... and none of them knew that. However, I felt that the elments didn't go as far as I would have liked. The music was good- even the duet between Amy Adams and Lee Pace, but not good enough. The sets, acctually were fully good. The acting needed to go a little further and the story wasn't fully there. But it was light and fun... and that annoying actress from 'Bridget Jones' and the Harry Potter films (Moaning Mertil) is in with her annyoing, squeeky voice. But she's a villian so it's all good!
I really enjoyed this film! It is done in a 1930's movie style with some modern touches...like flashes of nudity. The costumes are great....the sets are great...and the music perfect in capturing the time period. The actors were great...especially Frances McDormand as Mis Pettigrew. It is a comedy that has a heart and really made me enjoy it. I now want to read the book because I have heard it is a bit more "racy" despite being written in the early 1930s!
as shallow as it sounds, i can't seem to think of what to write about this film other than the fact that i rather enjoyed it. great leads and dialogue with an ending that makes you want to believe good things comes to those who wait.
I loved everything about this film. Not only did it feature excellent acting but wonderful costumes and scenery as well. Love, love, love Amy Adams and it was so nice to see Lee Pace.
Cute but empty, all the charm, character development and storyline are in the preview. If you like the preview watch the preview again. Pettigrew is not that bad but it certainly not good either.
Frances McDormand was fabulous as was Amy Adams and Lee Pace. McDormand brought such life and spirit to the character and I liked the subtle romance between her 'Joe.' This was a charming story with layers of more serious drama and realism woven into it.
I was expecting a little bit more from this movie, but Amy Adams was so wonderful that I had to love it. And of course Lee Pace is fabulous. I love sappy, happy endings!!!
This movie was great! When my husband and I saw this movie we were almost the youngest people in the theater, except for the two girls in front of us who thought they were entitled to put their feet up on the back of the seat. They actually acted put off the someone sat in front of them.....move to a different seat so you can put your feet up....DUH! Anyway I digress.....lol.....this movie was really good. We enjoyed it very much and chatted about it later.
Frances McDormand & Amy Adams are simply two of my very favorite actresses. I finally got to see: "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" and enjoyed it a lot.
The film takes place during the depression close to WWII in the UK. Amy Adams plays a up and coming leading lady and part of the "in crowd" for the scene in London. Frances McDormand, however is a very plain and simple lady that really needs to find her next place of employment. The ladies meet and Frances McDormand becomes Adams's, Social Secretary. What a simply well done movie with lovely music and costumes that make you get lost in it. A sweet film worth checking out...I really enjoyed it.
I liked this movie. It was cute. Frances McDormand is good in every movie she's in. It was nice to see her in a lighter role. The story was cute and I liked Delysia.
Oh jeezzzzz!!!!! It's been soooooo long since I saw a movie like this and loved it so much!!! Amy Adams is the future Ladies and Gentlemen!! She is simply genius!!!!!! and Frances McDormand OMG!!! Ciarán Hinds was amazing, I wanted him to sweep McDormand off her feet and kiss her! I wanted to sing, to dance and cry with all of them. The wardrobe was so beautiful and the settings were so gorgeous. I was absolutely blown away by each and every aspect of the film. The music was so perfect and the dialogues!!! Ugh!! I could listen to the dialogue of this movie all day everyday!! Then there was Lee Pace <3!!! He's the cutest new actor I've seen in a loooooooong time! He was so charming! and when he sang "If I didn't care" with Amy I wanted to laugh and cry and marry him right there and when. There's not a lot of intelligent things I can say about this movie because the movie is intelligent by itself, I just adored everything about it. This a new classic and must-watch, must-have!
MCT:October 6, 2008
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