“Every woman will have her day”

Genre:  Comedy-Romance

The gist:  Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is the story of a day in the life of Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) – a dowdy, down-on-her-luck governess.  The daughter of a minister, Miss Pettigrew feels it her duty to speak her mind about her employee’s indiscretions, attempting to get them on the straight and narrow.  Needless to say, such “helpfulness” is not-so-very appreciated; when she is fired from her third assignment, the employment agency refuses to be of further service.  So she steals an assignment – becoming social secretary to Delysia Lafosse, an American actress.  Suddenly her life is anything but boring.  But it is her truthfulness and concerned meddling – the very things that got her in trouble in the first place – that will ultimately save the day. 

My take:  I LOVED this movie.  To anyone who has called me a throw-back … or even thought it … this will come as no surprise.  Set at the dawn of WWII England, I loved the setting, the styles, and the music.  That much is given.  But it’s so much more.  The story (based on the novel by Winifred Watson) is heartfelt; the screenplay (written by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy) simply charming.  Bharat Nalluri’s direction depicts life on the verge of WWII like a symphony; and the actors bring a hint of magic as witnessed in films of the golden era.  But that which holds it all together is the chemistry between Frances McDormand (Miss Pettrigrew) and Amy Adams (Delysia Lafosse).  Given the nature of the two parts, lesser actresses would have been little more than annoying.  Instead we are granted a rare glimpse at two opposing worlds – the carefree innocence of youth and the reserved wisdom of maturity.  And oh that we should be so lucky to have our own Miss Pettigrew touch our lives.        

An aside:  Yes, this movie is a chick-flick.  We had a pair of couples sitting behind us.  As we were leaving the theatre the “boys” were bemoaning the fact that they had to endure such agony.  The “girls” were of course trying to appease said boys by promising to go to 88 minutes on the next go around.  Of course, most of the comments from the peanut gallery came from the guys behind us.  And they were not snide remarks, I might add.  So whether they would ever – in a MILLION years – admit it, they too were engrossed in the film. 

A movie about the magic that is the movies…

The genre: Comedy/Drama

The gist: Mike (Mos Def) works for Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) at the Be Kind Rewind movie rental store – where you can rent a VHS for one day, for one dollar.  When Mr. Fletcher leaves town to research ways he might revitalize his failing business, he puts Mike in charge.  And he leaves instructions not to let Mike’s conspiracy-theorist friend Jerry (Jack Black) in the building.  But Jerry does enter the building.  Magnetized.  And he erases every movie in the store.  In an attempt to stay out of trouble – and keep what little business they have – Mike and Jerry decide to re-films the movies themselves.  With the help of Jerry’s mechanic, Wilson (Irv Gooch), and Alma (Melonie Diaz), a young girl from the local dry-cleaners, they make short clips of our most beloved movies.  In the end they become not only the stars of the shows, but their whole neighborhood as well. 

My take:  The first part of the movie was so slow it was almost painful.  As I was sitting there – trying to make sense of it all – the thought did cross my mind that I could easily excuse myself and never return.  And that’s a pity.  Because the mid to end of the movie proved it could have been a classic film.  Of course, the fun begins once Jerry and Mike decide to “swede” – or film their own version of – the movies that have been erased.  Not only do the remakes provide a sense of nostalgia for anyone familiar with the movies being made, but anyone in the film business is sure to be reminded of his/her first attempt at making a film on a non-existent budget.  Needless to say, there are plenty of laughs in the middle of the movie.  But in the end, it’s all about the heart.  Though Michel Gondry (Writer/Director) could have given us a stronger opening, he still manages to give us a great movie about movies – reminding us that movies bring us together, and for a few brief moments, allow us to forget the disappointment that may be lingering right outside the door …