Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day
3/4
Starring: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Lee Pace, Ciaran Hinds, Shirley Henderson, Mark Strong, Tom Payne
Rated PG-13 for Some Partial Nudity and Innuendo
"Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" is an attempt to bring back the classic screwball comedies from the 30's and 40's. There's nothing raunchy or gross about this movie; it's all timing and lines. Someone looking for something like "The 40-Year Old Virgin," or (God forbid!) "Anchorman 2," will be surprised (pleasantly, I hope). Comedies like this have been out of style for decades, and as Miss Pettigrew proves, they can be just as fun, if not more so.
The film is based on the book by Winifred Watson that was a massive hit when it was published in 1938. It was going to be turned into a movie, but the onset of World War II put those plans to a halt. The project was forgotten until the publisher re-released the book in 2000, at which point it was once again attempted to bring to the screen. 70 years after its publication, the story finally reached cinemas.
It's not hard to understand why it was so successful as a novel and so easily translated to the screen: it's got a likable heroine, quirky and engaging characters, and an amusing plot that grows more convoluted (and funnier) as the film goes on. Miss Pettigrew is someone we can root for, and that makes the film work; the story rests on her shoulders, and she's impossible not to like.
The time is at the tail end of the Great Depression (due to how close it is to World War II, it's probably fall 1939). Miss Pettigrew is a nanny who is tossed out by just about everyone for one reason or another. The employment agency has given up hope for her and turns her away. She overhears that the social secretary for Carole Lombard is freed up again and the worker decides to send her to Delysia Lafosse (Adams). Desperate, Miss Pettigrew takes the lead and goes there herself. That's when she realizes that Delysia isn't a mother looking for someone to take care of her kids, but a young starlet trying to juggle three boyfriends: Nick (Strong), a brutish club owner for whom Delysia sings and whose flat she lives in (and whose bank account she empties as fast as she can), Phil (Payne), the son of a theater producer who may make her a star, and Michael (Pace), the penniless pianist who loves her. Over the course of the day, Miss Pettigrew may help Delysia decide her future and find her own as well.
Indian director Bharat Nalluri has elected to cast actors best suited for the part, rather than who is the most famous or photogenic. That's the right decision. The cast is just about perfect; everyone seems born to play the role they were given. McDormand is turns up the frump as the mousy Miss Pettigrew. We've all felt like we were at the bottom, and if there's one thing that an audience loves, it's to see the underdog get what they deserve. Amy Adams, who specializes in playing ditzy and naiive characters is also in fine form as the bubbly but immature Delysia. Mark Strong, Tom Payne and especially Lee Pace (who has never been so sexy and, in Amy Adams' own words "dashing") are all in fine form. Shirley Henderson is perfectly nasty as the ambitious and manipulative Edythe. Ciaran Hinds, with his laid-back and low-key acting style, may not be the first name that comes up when one thinks of a screwball comedy, but he gives the best performance in the film after Lee Pace. He plays Joe Blomfield, a clothing designer (and Edythe's ex-fiancee) who sees right through Miss Pettigrew...and likes what he sees!
As fun and frothy as this film is, it could have been a lot better. Screwball comedies require perfect timing, almost down to the milisecond, and they have do gain momentum. The timing is sharp enough to be amusing, but it lacks to precision to be truly hilarious. It also doesn't gain much momentum. The film's first scene should have been a classic, but neither Nalluri doesn't nail the timing. Things should have been quicker and more energetic than they actually are. While both Adams and McDormand have displayed comic aptitude and timing (on numerous occasions), they're both struggle with this scene (much more successful are Mark Strong and Tom Payne, the latter of whom has the exact manic energy that the film demands). After that, the film hits its stride and it is on more solid ground. It has the same innocence as the comedies of old, and as such feels nostalgic. It's a much gentler comedy than we're used to these days, but it's not less funny. In fact, it's a richer experience because it demands much more than improvisation (in fact, I doubt that improv would be possible in a movie like this) and coming up with the grossest gag the latest stand-up comic turned actor can come up with. Definitely recommended.
Starring: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Lee Pace, Ciaran Hinds, Shirley Henderson, Mark Strong, Tom Payne
Rated PG-13 for Some Partial Nudity and Innuendo
"Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" is an attempt to bring back the classic screwball comedies from the 30's and 40's. There's nothing raunchy or gross about this movie; it's all timing and lines. Someone looking for something like "The 40-Year Old Virgin," or (God forbid!) "Anchorman 2," will be surprised (pleasantly, I hope). Comedies like this have been out of style for decades, and as Miss Pettigrew proves, they can be just as fun, if not more so.
The film is based on the book by Winifred Watson that was a massive hit when it was published in 1938. It was going to be turned into a movie, but the onset of World War II put those plans to a halt. The project was forgotten until the publisher re-released the book in 2000, at which point it was once again attempted to bring to the screen. 70 years after its publication, the story finally reached cinemas.
It's not hard to understand why it was so successful as a novel and so easily translated to the screen: it's got a likable heroine, quirky and engaging characters, and an amusing plot that grows more convoluted (and funnier) as the film goes on. Miss Pettigrew is someone we can root for, and that makes the film work; the story rests on her shoulders, and she's impossible not to like.
The time is at the tail end of the Great Depression (due to how close it is to World War II, it's probably fall 1939). Miss Pettigrew is a nanny who is tossed out by just about everyone for one reason or another. The employment agency has given up hope for her and turns her away. She overhears that the social secretary for Carole Lombard is freed up again and the worker decides to send her to Delysia Lafosse (Adams). Desperate, Miss Pettigrew takes the lead and goes there herself. That's when she realizes that Delysia isn't a mother looking for someone to take care of her kids, but a young starlet trying to juggle three boyfriends: Nick (Strong), a brutish club owner for whom Delysia sings and whose flat she lives in (and whose bank account she empties as fast as she can), Phil (Payne), the son of a theater producer who may make her a star, and Michael (Pace), the penniless pianist who loves her. Over the course of the day, Miss Pettigrew may help Delysia decide her future and find her own as well.
Indian director Bharat Nalluri has elected to cast actors best suited for the part, rather than who is the most famous or photogenic. That's the right decision. The cast is just about perfect; everyone seems born to play the role they were given. McDormand is turns up the frump as the mousy Miss Pettigrew. We've all felt like we were at the bottom, and if there's one thing that an audience loves, it's to see the underdog get what they deserve. Amy Adams, who specializes in playing ditzy and naiive characters is also in fine form as the bubbly but immature Delysia. Mark Strong, Tom Payne and especially Lee Pace (who has never been so sexy and, in Amy Adams' own words "dashing") are all in fine form. Shirley Henderson is perfectly nasty as the ambitious and manipulative Edythe. Ciaran Hinds, with his laid-back and low-key acting style, may not be the first name that comes up when one thinks of a screwball comedy, but he gives the best performance in the film after Lee Pace. He plays Joe Blomfield, a clothing designer (and Edythe's ex-fiancee) who sees right through Miss Pettigrew...and likes what he sees!
As fun and frothy as this film is, it could have been a lot better. Screwball comedies require perfect timing, almost down to the milisecond, and they have do gain momentum. The timing is sharp enough to be amusing, but it lacks to precision to be truly hilarious. It also doesn't gain much momentum. The film's first scene should have been a classic, but neither Nalluri doesn't nail the timing. Things should have been quicker and more energetic than they actually are. While both Adams and McDormand have displayed comic aptitude and timing (on numerous occasions), they're both struggle with this scene (much more successful are Mark Strong and Tom Payne, the latter of whom has the exact manic energy that the film demands). After that, the film hits its stride and it is on more solid ground. It has the same innocence as the comedies of old, and as such feels nostalgic. It's a much gentler comedy than we're used to these days, but it's not less funny. In fact, it's a richer experience because it demands much more than improvisation (in fact, I doubt that improv would be possible in a movie like this) and coming up with the grossest gag the latest stand-up comic turned actor can come up with. Definitely recommended.
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