Frothy, frantic, fairly entertaining. These are the words that spring to mind after seeing "Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day", a comedy in the madcap '30s style with period details galore. The divine Frances McDormand stars as Guinevere Pettigrew, a down-on-her-luck governess trying to survive in pre-WWII London who tricks her way into a position as social secretary to the ditzy, ambitious actress/singer Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). Of course there's romance: three men for Delysia and a rich designer of lingerie (Ciaran Hands) for Guinevere. Of course there's slapstick silliness and amazingly convenient happy endings (and I'm not giving anything away here since there's never a moment's doubt). Of course there's the nasty guy we don't want our silly actress to end up with and the wonderful guy on whose arm we do want our governess to stroll into the sunset.
The movie starts off at a desperate pace, with everyone talking too fast, dashing pointlessly about and playing to the back of the house, giving the audience the feeling of watching a stage play. Perhaps this is the way zany '30s films are supposed to go, but never having seen many I can only assume this pacing is deliberate to the period, however it does become annoying rather quickly. Once things settle down a little (maybe 20 minutes into the movie) we're given some slightly entertaining characters and predicaments, though certainly nothing to rejoice over.
While there's the barest of character development and the storyline couldn't be more predictable, there are some things to like about this wacky movie. Despite the prerequisite dowdy clothes and drab, sensible shoes of her character, McDormand shines, as usual, whether radiating amazement and pride while watching her boss perform in a nightclub or allowing the slightest hint of a thrill to light up her eyes when she's asked to dance by her handsome suitor. Amy Adams and the sexy Lee Pace (as the ex-convict who charms Delysia) have great chemistry, as do McDormand and Hands. The late '30s feel of the film is excellent with appropriate details, including an amusing lingerie show featuring truly horrible underwear items and the lurking threat of the war that seems to be desperately ignored by many of the characters.
Things to love about this movie: Period music, costumes and interiors; a wonderful duet by Adams and Pace on "If I Didn't Care"
Things to hate about this movie: Predictable plot; clunky slapstick humor
Pleasant surprises: Ciaran Hands as a romantic lead; interesting relationship development between the two lead female characters
Unpleasant surprises: Not enough screen time for the charismatic Pace
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