MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY

Romantic comedy

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Frances McDormand: Guinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged nanny
Amy Adams: American actress/nightclub singer Delysia Lafosse
Tom Payne: Phil, a producer of London musicals
Mark Strong: Delysia’s employer, nightclub owner Nick
Lee Pace: penniless piano player Michael
Shirley Henderson: Edythe, owner of a boutique clothing store
Ciaran Hinds: her fiancé Joe, a lingerie designer

REVIEW
Right from the get-go it is apparent this is not a serious film that will become a classic. Instead it comes across as a stage play with everyone emoting rather than simply acting. Once you accept that premise things work out fine since this modern-day fairy tale is a pleasant diversion. The high production standards and glorious costumes add to the theatrical-look of the whole thing.

CLASSIFICATION
for some partial nudity and innuendo.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
 Surveillance of public areas by Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) was developed in the United Kingdom partly in response to the IRA bombings in the ‘70’s. Consequently the camera high up on the wall to the right of the Savoy hotel main entrance would not have been there in 1939 when the movie takes place.
 The living room clock shows it to be 10:16 as Delysia starts to put on her fur coat which takes no time at all but when she is done the clock shows that 6 minutes have transpired.
 During the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany during World War II searchlights were used extensively in defence against these nighttime aerial bomber raids. Generally searchlights in pairs were used to ascertain the altitude of the enemy bombers so that the fuses on anti-aircraft flak shells could be set appropriately for maximum effect. However all this took place at least a year after the movie since the Blitz did not began until September 1940.