Ms. Pettigrew is an entertaining period piece which does not disappoint.
Set in London, just prior to the outbreak of World War II, the musical comedy is obviously an homage to the smart screwball comedies of yesteryear tailored for the likes of screen greats Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy.
The film - adapted for the screen by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy (based on the 1938 Novel by Winifred Watson) - moves along at a fast clip, buttressed at times by catchy big band instrumentals which tend to get the foot tapping and elicit wide goofy smiles to the face.
Care to dance, anyone?
Frances McDormand (FARGO) turns in a delicious (yet poignant) multi-faceted performance which tugs at the heartstrings on occasion.
From the get-go, it is evident that the cast that buoys her up throughout the romantic comedy are seasoned pros, too. Without doubt, a handful of the talented thespians who parade across the screen sprang from a rigorous theatrical background on the stage.It shows!
The pacing is good, and the comedic timing right on the money, as well.
The production values are both lavish and visually stunning; in part, due to all the exquisite details - from the Art Deco-inspired sets - to the scrumptious eye-catching fashions of the era.
In a nutshell, Ms. McDormand plays a down-on-her-luck governess desperate for a job.
Seizing upon a golden opportunity for gainful employment in an upper crust section of town, Ms. Pettigrew is suddenly thrust headlong into the intrigues of her new mistress - a scatterbrained Starlet - torn between the urge for love and the lure of a promising career.
It appears that the invisible hand of God is at work (Pettigrew is the daughter of a man of the cloth, after all) and that McDormand's character has found her true calling.
Her selfless acts of kindness not only set a handful of the dizzy characters on the right path, but effect a miraculous healing in the process.
In true Hollywood style, love's crush descends on Ms. Pettigrew, too.
To cynics, it is sheer fantasy.
To others, a dream worth pining for.
Two of Pettigrew's charges snared by Cupid's arrow...