'Ms. Pettigrew' puts new twist on Cinderella story

by Hilary McNamara, associate editor

 

With all these modern twists on fairytales coming out, “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” puts an interesting twist on the classic Cinderella story.

Miss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) seems to be a magnet for bad luck, and a break looks to be nowhere in sight for her. After being kicked out of her job, she goes to an employment agency to find out that her difficult and odd nature has earned her a permanent spot on the unemployed list.

With a dull future ahead of her, Miss Pettigrew places her fate in the hands of the young and wild Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). Having only worked as a governess, Miss Pettigrew soon learns that this nightclub singer is in need of care and help just as much as any child. With the name of her occupation now social secretary, Miss Pettigrew forgets her hardships and really embraces the role.

Soon, a matronly bond is formed between the two, and Ms. Pettigrew is faced with helping Delysia choose her path in life. But this task proves to be a feat she never imagined. It seems that Delysia has figured out that in order to get ahead in life, the best way is to find people who have already made it.

With this idea in her head, the lives of people such as club owner Nick (Mark Strong) and Michael (Lee Pace), a lively and passionate artist, are intertwined. Delysia is not the only one who has captured the eyes of young men, though, as Miss Pettigrew seems to intrigue the dashing lingerie designer Joe (Ciaran Hinds).

One deceitful socialite, Edythe (Shirley Henderson), realizes that Miss Pettigrew is not really who she says she is and uses this as ammo to get what she wants. But this idea backfires on her.

Each woman soon starts to realize that she has been hiding from who she really is. With funny mishaps and great chemistry, the two women navigate through a whole day that will start a whole new life.

Adams once again shines and proves that she is a great actress and a force to be reckoned with. Henderson, better known for her role as a ghost in “Harry Potter” and her unmistakable voice, brings a lot to this movie. She is a great “evil stepsister” and brings a sort of charm to her hateful character.

This was a great movie, but it had a rough start and was slow to pick up the pace in the beginning. Another cool aspect was the costumes. They really embraced the 1930s and were so pretty.

This is a movie to go see with the girls. I would give this movie four out of five stars.