Movie Notes: Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day

March 15th, 2008

= 4 stars

Starring Frances McDormand, Amy Adams
Directed by Bharat Nalluri

Synopsis

Unemployed and homeless, Miss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) lands employment as a “social secretary” to triple-timing, flightly aspiring actress Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams), and juggles several complicated upper-crust lives in pre-World War II London.

The Good

• One huge reason to see this flick: Amy Adams. She’s appealingly screwball, and channels some classic movie dames like Marilyn Monroe or Vivien Leigh. At one point she sings an emotional song in a night club, and I was pleased to learn she really did that, too.
• Frances McDormand wisely knows most eyes will be focused on Adams and dials back her performance to where Miss Pettigrew practically blends in with the scenery. Smart choice for that’s really what the character is all about — letting others take the stage and the credit while she provides quiet, moral support.
• Afterwards, I realized the whole movie takes place in basically three locations (an apartment, a department store, and a nightclub) and over the course of one tiring day.

The Bad

• For a film that happens just before World War II breaks out, it’s surprisingly non-violent. No bombs, and not even sleazy Nick (the Snake) pulls out a gun. A few punches are thrown but that’s about it.
• The airy plot is quite predictable — you just know everything will work out in the end.

Conclusion

I’ve seen Amy Adams in only one other film, the middling Junebug, in which she was notably better than other actors around her. In Miss Pettigrew, she plays an actress who must simultaneously keep three men at bay, be funny and endearing, yet not come across as an opportunistic tramp. Meanwhile, the always solid Frances McDormand, pulling of a British accent as she did the Minnesotan one in Fargo — good stuff.

IMDB: Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
Wikipedia: Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
Rotten Tomatoes: Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day 74%