MOVIE REVIEW: Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day

The movie has it's heart in the right place, but isn't convincing enough

Set in London in 1939, this film is based on the novel of the same name by Winifred Watson. The director Bharat Nalluri is Indian, and I'll admit his name caught my eye during the opening credits and made me even more eager to watch the movie, for I was curious to see what an Indian director working in Hollywood had to offer. Nalluri is known for directing The Crow: Salvation and the TV series Tsunami: The Aftermath.

What it's about...

Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) is a maid who finds herself unemployed yet again, because of her difficult nature. As a result of her stubbornness, Pettigrew doesn't hold a steady job. Unceremoniously fired without a severance pay, Miss Pettigrew is in desperate need of work. The in-charge at the employment agency refuses to fix her up with a job, and Miss Pettigrew steals a business card from there. Down on her luck, but still hopeful, she pretends to be a social secretary and lands up at the house of actress and singer Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams), on an absolutely chaotic day in the latter's life.

Pettigrew saves her from getting into a mess, as Lafosse is juggling three men. One, Phil Goldman (Tom Payne), son of a wealthy businessman. Two, Nick Colderelli (Mark Strong), a nightclub owner and the third is Michael Pardue (Lee Pace), a penniless pianist who has performed several times with the aspiring star.

Brit-com or Hindi sitcom?

Amy Adams seems to have a thing for fairy-tale stories, she played Princess Giselle in Enchanted and received her first Golden Globe nomination for it.

Her performance here starts to grate the nerves almost as soon as it starts, for Delysia Lafosse is a bimbette straight out of a Hindi sitcom. Her excessive chirpiness gets seriously annoying, and just when you begin to contemplate walking out of the theatre, the film starts to get bearable.

The game and the players…

Delysia Lafosse is a starlet who has grown up in poverty. Her childhood has made her an ambitious young woman, desperate for fame and success.

Phil Goldman is producing a West End musical, and wants to marry Delysia

Nick is the suave, older man, whose penthouse Delysia is living in and Michael is the charming pianist who wants her to go to New York with him.

Miss Pettigrew dishes out love advice and navigates her employer's life, helping her make a life-changing decision. Amidst all the chaos and confusion, Pettigrew manages to find love with Joe Blumfield (Ciaran Hinds), a famous designer who falls for her almost immediately.

There is an obstacle in the form of Edythe Dubarry, Joe's fiancée. Edythe and Joe have called off their engagement and she wants him back, mainly because of his position in the fashion world. She remembers Miss Pettigrew from one of her previous jobs, and threatens to blow Pettigrew's cover.

The performances

Frances McDormand is just right as the not-so-pretty maid, stern and uptight most of the time. She doesn't eat anything except two cucumber slices throughout the film, is always looking for food, and it makes you wonder if her actions are driven by hunger.

Amy Adams a talented actress but her over-the-top acting in her introductory scene almost kills the fun of watching this medium-paced flick.

Ciaran Hinds is perfect as one of the top names in the fashion world. He comes across as utterly sophisticated and a man of ethics. His presence in the movie is welcome and he has given a perfectly restrained performance.

Shirley Henderson as Edythe Dubarry is convincing as the estranged fiancee , and does justice to her vampish role.

Lee Pace plays Michael Pardue almost effortlessly, and one thing common in Michael and Joe is both play their 'gentleman' parts to the hilt. Lee, as the penniless pianist, is really good and the scene in which Michael plays the piano behind Delysia at the nightclub in front of her other lovers is fantastic. It stirs up a lovely atmosphere which makes you wish this movie had more of it.

VERDICT : Despite the fine direction and sincere performances, Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day is a film that doesn't move you in anyway, nor does it say anything to you. The story is different but gets predictable midway. Even more than predictability, its dullness ultimately takes away a lot from what could have been a very good movie. Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day is a story with a lot of potential, but the movie is rendered ineffective due to lack of punch.

RATING: 2/5

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