Congratulations are hereby given to the fine, fine script and story, as well. If ever there was a stage name that suited a character better I haven't heard it to date. "Like eating fresh cucumber", that's how my wife put it, and she was right on the money. The film basically takes place over a one-day period and has only three sets: the apartment, a nightclub, and the Savoy Hotel. I can't believe this film received positive reviews. If you're looking for a compelling, daring, high brow documentary then this is not the one for you. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is warm-hearted and engaging, and much too good to be dismissed as mere romantic whimsy, although it is undeniably both romantic and whimsical. Delysia is grateful. Review: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. This she does, by intercepting an employment assignment outside of her comfort level--as "social secretary." From the costumes to the Cole Porter- and piano-heavy score, all of the period details are flawless. It's just a succession of all the cute characteristics Americans used to attribute to the Briddish about 50 years ago. Miss Pettigrew helps Delysia to resolve her affairs and learn that Delysia has a true love, a poor piano player that has invited her to move to New York with him. A world filled with fashion shows, cocktail parties, and the latest gossip. The screenplay was first-rate. She has a clumsiness about her and a certain spunk that kind of relates you to her I suppose. Check box if your review contains spoilers, Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day: Meets Edythe, Now Playing: Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day: Meets Edythe, In 1939 London, Miss Guinevere Pettigrew is a middle-aged governess who finds herself once again unfairly dismissed from her job. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Critics Consensus. Recommended. In London in the beginning of World War II, the middle-aged Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) is unemployed and hunger after being fired by her alcoholic employer. The critics have spoken, and what they've said is this: Do not see these... Music title data, credits, and images provided by, Movie title data, credits, and poster art provided by. B. It wasn't funny,or the least bit believeable. While Amy Adams was a delight to watch in her role as Delysia, the brightest star in this film is Frances Mcdormand. I was bored silly. Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/5 -I fell in love with "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day". Miss Pettigrew mentions that she is a minister's daughter and has led a sheltered life. And you really begin to want everything to work out for her. I'm afraid I found this film toe-curling-lee unfunny. Without so much as severance pay, Miss Pettigrew realizes that she must--for the first time in two decades--seize the day. So obvious that the screenplay was written by men. For example, there is a scene where a formation of heavy British bombers fly overhead. A lot of it deals with innuendos, Miss Pettigrew's luck(which is quite terrible), and Delysia's actions. Love interest to Pettigrew. She had lost her job as a … Read the book. I pulled out the Kleenex. Miss Pettigrew was as pleasant and inoffensive as your great-aunt Mabel, but it should have left everyone wiping a tear while doing a little two-step out the door to the jaunty end-title music. He is suave, mysterious, and rather sweet. And though Miss Pettigrew hardly approves of Delysia's way of life, she's literally starving. I was drawn to this story of a mousy spinster who gets shaken up in her life after a serendipitous mix up. Your emotional strings are pulled when you think that Miss Pettigrew is suddenly tossed back where she was in the beginning, alone in a terminal with no hope. Photos courtesy of Focus FeaturesCiaran Hinds & Frances McDormand in "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day." Taking the "social secretary" designation to heart, she tries to help her new friend Delysia navigate a love life and career, both of which are complicated by the three men in Delysia's orbit: devoted pianist Michael, intimidating nightclub owner Nick, and impressionable junior impresario Phil. Following the life of a woman who has been colored by the wisdom of having survived one world war, now on the cusp of another, she gives a performance that is both heartfelt and sincere. Overall the movie was very well done and one of the best refreshingly familiar feel-good films in recent memory. -This film is about Guinevere Pettigrew(Frances McDormand), a woman living(on the streets that is)in London during the late 1930s on the brink of WW2. | Its always funny and cleverly done. Miss Pettigrew, entirely unaccustomed to kindness, is treated with kindness and appreciation, and blooms in response. You're gonna have to see the film to find out. Meanwhile Miss Pettigrew meets the lingerie designer Joe Blomfield (Ciarán Hinds), who seems to be attracted to her. Then, don't miss Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, as your day will be as bright as newly minted penny, after a viewing. Francis McDorman is a good actress, why she involved herself in this time waster is a mystery. This felt like someone's vanity piece; some producer or director who loved '30s era screwball comedies wanted to make one of their own. Let’s get one thing straight: Amy Adams is adorable. Adams is engaging as the beautiful but mixed-up starlet while Hinds is marvelous as the man who rediscovers what is important in life. But it doesn't work. Before this it was The Notebook, Titanic, etc., all the way back to Casablanca and Gone with the Wind. This reminded me of something that Irene Dunne or Norma Shearer would have starred in as Delysia, with Cary Grant playing the love interest, Michael. She does experiment with drinking at a party and seems to enjoy the atmosphere. 1939 London comes alive beautifully on the screen, top production values. Do you want to experience movie bliss? Don't waste your money. Delysia has had a male guest, overnight, who is not the man who owns the flat where she is currently bunking! | Everything has to take place in this limited setting, but the plot is too thin and the dialog too weak to be effective. She does does a lot of immoral things in the film which might make you think that you would be turned off by the character, but you'll strangely find yourself rooting for her. Amy Adams and Frances McDormand created a complex relationship and I quickly felt empathy with their characters. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. I didn't laugh at all during this movie. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day indeed. This role plays to her strengths - her presence, facial expressions and perfect timing. Charming, unpretentious, and well-acted, esp. Frances McDormand stars as Miss Pettigrew and when the story opens, she has just been fired from the position as a servant of a wealthy lady. Without so much as severance pay, Miss Pettigrew realizes that she must--for the first time in two decades--seize the day. I highly recommend this film, go see it and when it comes out on DVD rent it if not buy it. There is a third man in Delysia's life and the young beauty is juggling suitors in a quest to become a bonafide star of the screen. During the next 24 hours, Guinevere and Delysia will empower one another to discover their romantic destinies. My favorite parts of the movie are the references to the potential for war between Britain and Germany. This quirky romance is set in London right before the outbreak of World War II. A fish out of water movie that's warmhearted without being sentimental, and the fish out of water premise never gets boring. The audience at the viewing I saw was 95% female. The weird thing is, is that her character could have been such a tramp, but she made it into someone so cute and likable that her and Miss Pettigrew into a great on screen friendship. It begins on a blustery London morning in 1939, as Miss Pettigrew awakens on a bench in a London train station. Suddenly, things change. Definitely, maybe! Expecting a young boy to have to look after for his rich and busy mother, she finds herself in a world like she has never seen. My friend couldn't make out the dialog but enjoyed it nonetheless! I'm very surprised at the enthusiasm of the majority of the reviewers, but good for them if they enjoyed it. Quirky and a bit playful, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day captured my heart. If you're a fan of such things, "Pettigrew" is worth seeing solely for its sets. 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