Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Review

by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)
March 28th, 2008
"Miss Pettigrew" Comes to Life
by Homer Yen
(c) 2008

Amy Adams shows her versatility as an aspiring
actress and debutante in pre-WWII London.
Frances McDormand shines as a frumpy caretaker
who undergoes a tremendous transformation in the
span of just 24 hours. "Miss Pettigrew Lives for
a Day" is proof that good things come in small
packages.

"MPLFAD" is a sweet, romantic comedy that has all
the delight of a screwball Broadway play. The
flirty and insecure Delysia (Adams) wants what
every girl wants. But, she can't quite decide
which one of her suitors will be the one that
she'll give herself to. One is a successful
business owner who has become her sugar daddy.
One is an impressionable impresario who has the
potential of turning Delysia into a headlining
West End actress. One is a piano player of
modest means but of grand heart. Watching her
steer clear of a potential collision between her
several suitors is funny (and also somewhat sad)
enough.

However, it achieves a certain comedic bliss when
Miss Pettigrew (McDormand) winds up at the
residence of Delysia through a series of
unfortunate events. Though a woman of sound
character and judgment, she has fallen on hard
times. And, while she finds it almost impossible
to relate to Delysia's impropriety, she also
finds it very difficult to pull herself away from
the atmosphere of glamour that she inhabits.
Plus, there's something to be said when the most
satisfying of snacks comes from slices of
cucumber that are nestled atop your eyes during a
facial treatment.

The look of the film is handsome and regal. It
is the late 1930s and city life for the extremely
well-to-do and privileged comprises of fashion
shows, trips to the spa, and a social secretary
in tow. This is the role that Miss Pettigrew has
taken alongside Delysia, although our governess
can barely graduate beyond her dull browns and
mossy greens. And, while she is a pillar of good
graces, she lacks some fundamental
how-to-act-at-a-high-society-function etiquette.
When you watch her staring in awe at a delectable
buffet, you are gleefully reminded of Tom Hanks
in "Big" who had never seen baby corn and
proceeded to nibble with such care that it was
impossible not to smile.

The film is impressively efficient. It utilizes
just four or five distinct sets. The tale spans
just 24 hours from the moment Miss Pettigrew
enters the picture to the point when Delysia
makes her eventual decision. But, so many great
things happen in the span of just one day. Both
women will empower each other. Our dowdy
governess blossoms into something extraordinary
before your very eyes. And, what seems like a
film with only modest ambitions turns out to be a
film with sublime charm and wit. As the title
says, "Miss Pittigrew" certainly lives for a day.

Grade: B+

S: 2 out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 1 out of 3

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