Film Title:  Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Director:  Bharat Nalluri
Cast:  Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Lee Pace, Shirley Henderson, Ciarán Hinds
Running Time:  109 minutes
DVD Release Date:  August 19, 2008 

 

Reviewed By: Melanie Shim (Vancouver Correspondent - Canada) 

"I wasted time, and now doth time waste me," King Richard II finally realizes when his demise seems very near in Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of King Richard II.  Time and the choices we make in that time add up to our final fate, our final destination in life.  Inevitably, timing plays a big part in where we end up; to have a life where everything turns out right would be most convenient, but sometimes to be thrown off course is most beneficial.  Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day tells the story of a young woman - and a not so young woman - learning to capture the goodness in our lives before they disappear forever.          

Frances McDormand stars as Miss Pettigrew, an old governess who was recently fired for being an unfit nanny.  She is the opposite of Mary Poppins; where Mary Poppins is charming, magical and extraordinary, Miss Pettigrew is awkward, plain and very much ordinary.  As she is bumming around a pre-World War II England, Miss Pettigrew coincidently stumbles upon a job as a "social secretary" for aspiring actress, Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams).  And as Miss Pettigrew lives the high life for just one day, she learns that even if she too can make a difference in someone's life.

The first thing I should mention is Amy Adams.  Again, she reprises her role as a sweet, naive girl who is so sure of what she wants, but cannot seem to get it right.  Like her role in Enchanted, Adams can turn the unhappiest frowns upside down with one look.  No one is really more perfect as the aspiring and wise, yet utterly naive, actress in a 1930s setting.  Another acting nod should be directed to McDormand, who is always consistently good.  As the quietly confident and brave Miss Pettigrew, McDormand delivers the performance with the right amount of quirk and heart that is very appealing and incredibly appropriate.  And Lee Pace as one of Delysia's lovers is so adorable; he stars in Pushing Daisies and is equally charming on that television show.  He portrays the lovesick boyfriend with less annoying nagging and more alluring passion.

Director Bharat Nalluri should also receive praise for his wonderful vision.  A lot of the scenes appear to be shot as if it were some sort of art piece.  Mirrors and doorways were used creatively, rather than dismissed, as suitable frames reflecting the characters' current state of mind.  I am no expert in filmmaking, but I do appreciate when a director (and his/her cinematographer) attempts to create a different look for a film.  The one scene that seems to stick in my thoughts is one where Delysia finishes her bath and stands in front of a backdrop similar Botticelli's painting The Birth of Venus.  Towel in hand, she is framed by a doorway and appears to be recreating the painting in a contemporary sense. 

All in all, Miss Pettigrew is a pretty good story with even better actors.  What made the film more enjoyable were the actors and their fine storytelling skills, through their facial expressions and vocal tones.  Further, the message behind the story - although clichéd - is still relevant and the same in any time period.  Choices and what we do with those choices are entirely up to us and though Miss Pettigrew and Miss Lafosse learn the meaning to life, they - more importantly - learn the meaning to their own lives as well.