Customer Reviews

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Widescreen & Full Screen Edition)

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Miss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) is the governess of last resort. No, that doesn't mean she turns naughty children around. In fact, she doesn't seem to be able to keep a job. Fired from her last job, she literally has nothing. And her employment agency is tired of trying to find her jobs. After all, jobs are scarce in 1930's London. Desperate, Miss Pettigrew takes the address of a client, a Delysia Lafoose (Amy Adams).

When Miss Pettigrew arrives at the address, she finds Delysia in crisis. While saving the day, Miss Pettigrew learns that Delysia isn't looking for a governess but a social secretary because they are fashionable.

And Delysia definitely needs help sorting out her life. She's a singer who wants to become an actress. But she's having huge man problems. Specifically, there are three men in her life. There's Phil (Tom Payne), who she has slept with to gain the lead in the play he is producing. There's Nick (Mark Strong), who owns the nightclub where Delysia sings every night as well as the apartment where Delysia lives. Then there's Michael (Lee Pace), a piano player who has proposed to Delysia and has spent the last year in prison waiting for an answer.

Miss Pettigrew is definitely out of her element, but she seems to be helping Delysia juggle everything. Can she keep up and guide Delysia at the same time?

Yes, this movie is a predictable romantic comedy. But the ride is quite enjoyable. The first half is almost farcical in tone with many laugh out loud moments. The second half becomes more serious with fewer laughs but many very touching moments. But by that point you are so invested in everyone's lives you have to stay and see how it turns out.

The acting holds things together perfectly with the entire cast balancing the comedy and emotion. But I've got to praise the two leads. Frances McDormand's facial expressions provide some of the best laughs in the first half. And Amy Adams keeps Delysia from being a mindless fluffy character. Instead, we truly care about her from her very first scene.

While this is a mindless comedy, I think its appeal will skew slightly older. Even with the partial nudity and double meanings, this movie will appeal most to adults and less to the teen and early twenty crowd.

I found this romantic comedy fun and charming and think that any adult will feel the same way.

Amy Adams. Angelina Joli. Sarah Jessica Parker. Frances McDormand. Odd, huh? Three younger beauties who can act. One maturing woman, not-so-beautiful, can stand equally with them. Star power? Inner beauty? Confidence? Frances McDormand has It which others can see.

"Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" is a fine vehicle for our Frances. She plays the low-key Miss Pettigrew, freshly out of a job, desperate for a new one in pre-war London, as she has no apartment and no possessions other than what she has on her person. Why can't she keep a job? Because she is painfully truthful!

Through a fluke she acquires the address of a rich, young American singer and inquires within. What this American needs is a therapist/parent. What she gets is Miss Pettigrew, a magical godmother in the guise of "social secretary." You see, Delysia McFosse is morally confused in her quest to be a stage and screen star. She currently is sleeping with three men: one for an apartment and unlimited funds, one for a movie role, and one for fun. The plot suggests that Delysia loves this third one. He definitely loves her!

Circling this bankrupt moral code in a bankrupt time of war is Miss Pettigrew. One follows the code. This is a rule for both society at large and individuals up close. By movie's end Miss Pettigrew has touched and impacted behavioral changes both refreshing and dynamic. Not only does she point Delysia in the right direction, she unexpectedly and inadvertently shows Delysia's cold-hearted, man-eating friend for the scoundrel she is.

In impacting behavior around her, the starving Miss Pettigrew finds herself in dire circumstances once again. Instead of being a fairy godmother, Miss Pettigrew needs someone to watch over her. Someone does come and fulfills her dreams. All's fair in love and war. This is love and it is very fair!! Indeed, in living for a day, Miss Pettegrew will live the rest of her life.

What a charming and delightful movie! Highly recommended!

The lead-in cinematic and musical elements for this delightfully entertaining, fast paced, little bit of nostalgia film prepares the viewer for the story as well as any 'overture' could. The setting is London in the 1930s, the day of the first blitzkrieg, and the tone of the imagery is that quiet depression and angst that tainted the world during that time. We meet our main character Miss Guinevere Pettigrew, a dowdy, middle-aged failed governess as she wanders through the streets and soup kitchens - all to the tune of 'Brother, can you spare a dime'. This 'day in a life' abruptly changes when Miss Pettigrew, still saddened by the loss of her beloved in WW I and struggling to be moral as the daughter of a clergyman in a world gone to tatters. How she finds one day of joy - and in the process changes the lives of those she encounters - is the line of the story, a screenplay by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy based on the novel of the same name by Winifred Watson and directed with a fine sense of timing and comedy cum pathos by Bharat Nalluri.

Quite by a fluke Miss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) absconds the name of a potential client from her caustic job finder and rings the bell of one Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams), a beautiful young American manipulator of men living in one boyfriend's luxurious flat while entertaining others who may help her reach her dream of being a star on the musical stage. Delysia believes Miss Pettigrew to be a social secretary and immediately involves her in the game of her life of flirtation and illusion. Miss Pettigrew, at first shocked by the 'social setting', soon adapts and indeed supports Delysia's efforts of meandering through gentleman callers, and as Delysia finds Miss Pettigrew indispensible she dresses her well and introduces her to a life Miss Pettigrew finds quite foreign but equally fascinating. In rapid fire sequence, at times overlapping like a Keystone Cops movie, we meet Delysia's paramours (played with devilish glee by Tom Payne, Mark Strong, and Lee Pace) as well as high society dames (Shirley Henderson) and the one man who seems above it all - Ciarán Hinds. All of this wild dash through the superficial society affairs is played against the all but ignore threat of the impending WW II and it all happens in one day. But at the end of that day the bond between Miss Pettigrew and Delysia is genuinely sealed and for a moment at least it seems Miss Pettigrew's previously dour existence has changed.

A fine cast, an intelligent director, a creative cinematographer John de Borman, and a well informed musical director Paul Englishby make this bit of froth into a confection that contains some social commentary ingredients. The costumes and sets are splendid and provide a view of London before the devastation of the war that is rich in nostalgia. Not a great movie, but a delightful romp that allows McDormand and Adams the opportunity to demonstrate their considerable comedy gifts. Grady Harp, August 08

I was absolutely bowled over by the performances of Frances McDormand & Amy Adams in this movie. Naturally I expect nothing but the best of Ms. McDormand, who won a well-deserved Oscar as the pregnant policewoman (with fantastic accent) in Fargo. And she never disappoints. Her metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly was wonderful to see.

Amy Adams played a very difficult role. It would have been easy for Delycia to seem slutty &/or scheming, but somehow in Ms. Adams' capable hands she was loveable and even a little innocent. I found her charming, and her singing voice is lovely.

The storyline held my interest throughout, and I loved the happy ending for both women. I must admit that I was glad Delycia and Michael got out of London before the blitz.

At the end of the movie, my husband surreptitiously wiped a tear from his eye. That from him is high praise. Well done, one and all!

When I first saw the trailers for this film, I thought, "Oh no, not another _My Fair Lady_."

"Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day" is a whole lot more than the 'fix her up to catch a man films' that get sold to the public on a daily basis. What ends up happening is that Miss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) and Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams) end up teaming up to help each other. You see, the unattractive failed nanny who's been eating out of soup kitchens and the lovely ingenue inhabiting a wealthy man's penthouse while she juggles two other boyfriends have more in common than you would think.

"Miss Pettigrew" takes place on the first day of the London Blitz, so add pre-war tensions, and you've got an interesting film on more than one level. Don't get me wrong, the film's still predictable and light, but it does both quite adequately for a snowy afternoon. If you enjoy that time-frame's costumes, music, and just a dash of history (not enough, sadly) this is a film worth catching.

Nothing but fun from beginning to end. We left the theater feeling happy, a rarity with all the doom and gloom, bloody shoot-'em-up movies that are being made today. Great acting, good writing, beautiful sets...and lots of laughs. Where else can you get all that for under $10?

Amy Adams is AMAZING. Is there anything she cannot do?

When I bought this movie, I didn't quite know what to expect. MISS PETTIGREW is one of those movies that if it did come to the theaters in rural Alabama, I probably would not have gone to see it because the theaters are reserved for "blockbusters." A look at the box shows no comment from a critic that I have grown to know and respect, I was curious about how Amy Adams and Frances McDormand would interact, and I found a perfectly delightful movie.

This is the type of movie that when one writes about it, it is difficult not to give away "spoilers," but on the other side of the coin, it is fairly predictable in that you "know" in your heart where it should probably go, but you are somewhat surprised by two things that happen along the way:

1) The performances. Wonderful! There was an indication or two that Frances McDormand, as Miss Pettigrew, was fighting an urge within herself on just how much to show of an emotion, a difficulty that some actors, have when they are both competent on the stage and screen, but that could, also, be a problem that was more the director's fault. Of all of the performances, only Shirley Henderson playing Edythe Dubarry was quite annoying, which grated me; however, her character was supposed to be annoying, which given some of her previous roles, "Moaning Myrtle" in the Harry Potter movies, is perhaps a type-casting she should be concerned about receiving.

2) The characters. The writing was so skillful that you knew the characters, the good and the bad, before you met them. The "over-the-top" performance of Amy Adams as Delysia Lafosse ("Enchanted") and "low-keyed" performance of Ms. McDormand were as balanced as the Ying and Yang symbols on an Asian scarf, designed by Joe Blumfield, nonetheless. Seldom do you see a movie where the characters "fit" the acting, or is that vise-versa and the acting "fit" the characters. Whatever the case, the characters are well developed.

So, why 5-Stars? I mean is this "Casablanca," one of the few movies that I have ever given a 5-Star rating? No, but MISS PETTIGREW is one of those movies that is fun, enjoyable to watch over-and-over for "things" one missed the first time, and at the same time, it provides several life lessons. I would probably have given this a 4.5-Stars, but there is no such animal, at least here, and giving it 5-Stars, maybe, just maybe, someone out there, who really likes movies, and really enjoys very good performances will see the "5-Stars" and take a chance and have a nice one hour and thirty-two minutes watching this delightful movie.

I rented this movie off Amazon Video on Demand. I'd never heard of it before, and since it has no reviews, I thought I'd add my two cents about this film.

This is a good movie, pretty entertaining. The story takes place in England just prior to the outbreak of World War II. The plot centers around a woman named Ms. Pettigrew, a vicar's daughter, who gets fired as a governess and is unable to find work. She goes to a woman at her employment agency, who tells Ms. Pettigrew that she is unreliable and these are tough times, so there is no work for her.

While she is at the employment agency, she overhears agency employees speaking about a position for a woman whose calling card was left on an employee's desk - Delysia Lafosse. Ms. Pettigrew steals the calling card and goes to Ms. Lafosse's house, pretending that she is the employee the agency sent over.

That is where the story really begins: the vicar's daughter Ms. Pettigrew has some issues at the less-than-virtuous lifestyle of the woman, but cannot leave because she has no options left.

Says Ms. Pettigrew in the film, "A little desperation has made me a smoking, swearing accomplice to misdeeds in a den of iniquity!"

The story is amusing and entertaining in a quiet British way and would be a good rental. I don't believe the story is interesting enough to warrant purchasing this movie, you will likely never watch it or think about it ever again. But it is an amusing enough way to spend an afternoon.

Frances McDormand and Amy Adams ably provide an hour and a half of charm and wit in this stylish comic drama adapted from the 1938 light classic novel. Ms. McDormand plays a dowdy, unemployed nanny with personality issues who falls into the glamorous world of theater and fashion after a bit of desperate subterfuge to land a job. Of course, Ms. McDormand's Miss Pettigrew character turns out to have the exactly right combination of solid values and feet-on-the-ground common sense that her new employer, Ms. Adams' flightly actress/singer character Delysia LaFosse, needs in her life at that moment. And that was fine; predictability isn't necessarily a bad thing if the predictable developments are satisfying.

But what's nice is that Delysia's world also gives something back to Ms. Pettigrew, as a little style and excitement is just what the lonely spinster needs. Furthermore, Miss Pettigrew soon sees that, aside from possibly helping Delysia make the right decisions about her own romantic life, she just might attain a great romance of her own.

While there's some predicability in the plot, the flavor of the film is anything but. At times it's old fashioned and plays out like a 1930's screwball comedy- energetic and sassy, but ultimately polite- and other times it's bawdy and sexy and quite daring. There's even possibly some level of sexual tension and attraction between Ms. Pettigrew and Delysia, though the charge I detected between them is definitely subtle, and maybe based more on an admiration of each other's strengths than a hidden mutual desire. But each viewer can make his or her own determination on that score.

"Miss Pettigrew Lives For a day" features a widescreen print of the film on one side of the DVD and a fullscreen version on the other side. A variety of special features about the making of the film and the novel on which it is based are spread out over both sides of the disc. The film looks and sounds wonderful on the standard DVD I viewed.

The film's scenery, music, top-notch acting, and engaging story of two women helping each other to find peace, happiness, and their respective places in the world all contribute to making "Miss Pettigrew lives For a Day" an easy recommendation.

Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day is a delightful movie that is part 1940's screwball comedy, part fairy tale. THis movie has two great actresses, Amy Adams, who is simply adorable, and Frances McDormand, who is one of the best actresses in Hollywood today. Both these women shine in every movie they are in and Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day is no exception.

Synopsis: In 1939 London, Miss Guinevere Pettigrew is a middle-aged governess who finds herself once again unfairly dismissed from her job. Without so much as severance pay, Miss Pettigrew realizes that she must for the first time in two decades seize the day. This she does, by intercepting an employment assignment outside of her comfort level as social secretary. Arriving at a penthouse apartment for the interview, Miss Pettigrew is catapulted into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse . Within minutes, Miss Pettigrew finds herself swept into a heady high-society milieu and, within hours, living it up. 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 Delysias orbit; devoted pianist Michael, intimidating nightclub owner Nick, and impressionable junior impresario Phil. Miss Pettigrew herself is blushingly drawn to the gallant Joe a successful designer who is tenuously engaged to haughty fashion maven Edythe the one person who senses that the new social secretary may be out of her element, and schemes to undermine her. Over the next 24 hours, Guinevere and Delysia will empower each other to discover their romantic destinies.

My take on this movie, is pretty much the ugly duckling that becomes a beautiful swan fairy tale. When we first see Miss Pettigrew, she is very down since she has been let go of yet another governess position. She looks very dowdy, wearing an ill-fitting brown outfit, no makeup and looks very depressed and rejected. The firm that placed her in the position, and many others like it, has given up on her and tell her there is nothing more they can do for her. She is a failure. Miss Pettigrew has no money or home, and since she has no other skills to recommend her, she will be quite destitute. Because Miss Pettigrew has no other choice, she pretends to be the social secretary to a young American singer, Delysia who has requested one from Pettigrew's old firm. Miss Pettigrew is in for quite a handful with Delysia, who is juggling three different men to get what she wants. You would think Delysia would be the one character I wouldn't care for because she lies quite well and is deceitful, but since Amy Adams plays her with such flighty innocence, you come to adore her. Delysia helps Miss Pettigrew see how special and beautiful she is, even though she may not look it. Delysia, along with her friend Edythe, played by another wonderful actress, Shirley Henderson, transforms Miss Pettigrew into an attractive and fashionable woman. Edythe expects a thank you from Miss Pettigrew, and wants her to talk some sense into her ex-fiancé, the dashing Joe, played by Ciaran Hinds, who is a fashion designer.

Miss Pettigrew has a skill in handling touchy situations and people listen to her when she talks. She tries to give Delysia advice about love and life even though Pettigrew is a bit sheltered in those aspects. Plus, Pettigrew has fallen in love with Joe, who certainly does not belong with Edythe because Edythe is a nasty sort. But since she knows a major secret about Miss Pettigrew, that could ruin everything, Edythe blackmails Pettigrew into getting her way.

I am a big fan of period pieces and Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day is definitely one of them. There is a bit of zaniness and comedy mixed in with a lovely romance. The costumes of the World War II era were fabulous and the singing talents of Amy Adams shine here just as much as she did playing Giselle in the movie Enchanted. And don't forget the incredible acting of Frances McDormand. Because of Frances, she makes this movie truly wonderful. This is an overall feel good movie that made me believe in hope and love. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day is a one gem of a movie you don't want to miss.

Katiebabs