I wasn’t looking forward to this movie. The idea of a frumpy house cleaner going to Paris for a Doir gown…isn’t the type of story that would appeal to a guy who has a collection of Lakers and Zeppelin T-shirts filling his closet. And I was a bit let down by the last few fashion flicks I’ve seen – House of Gucci and Phantom Thread (which might be the most overrated movie ever made). It was hard to figure out the motivations of the characters played by Daniel Day-Lewis and Leslie Manville. Yet Manville’s character in this movie, we understand everything she does. Okay, well…I did have a bit of trouble trying to figure out why she thinks that her husband, who fought in the war, and hasn’t returned in almost 15 years, is still going to return. But this movie was a cute fairy tale that warmed my heart. It’s an adaptation to the 1958 novel by Paul Gallico (The Poseidon Adventure). It’s directed by Anthony Fabian (who gave us the horrible Louder Than Words), and is about a cleaning lady in London in the late ‘50s. She deals with rude rich people and philandering men she cleans for. Her only bit of fun seems to be when her friend (Ellen Thomas) talks her into going to the local pubs or VFW halls for dances. Even those moments break your heart, as she watches others hooking up and cutting a rug, all having more fun than she is. While cleaning the house of one rich woman (Anna Chancellor), who seems to never want to pay her, she spies a Christian Dior dress in the closet that she pines for. Watching her then start to save up for it is just wonderful. Who hasn’t pinched pennies at one point in their life for something? For me as a teenager, it was to buy a Bill Russell rookie basketball card, but I digress.
When she dropped so much money at the dog track, because one of the hounds is named Haute Couture, I had flashbacks to Richard Dreyfuss’ character in Let it Ride (which is one of the underrated comedies in movie history). So, who cares that Harris isn’t going to a royal wedding or lavish ball? She wants a Dior dress and she’s going to go to Paris to fetch one.
Special props should go to the props – production design by Luciana Arrighi and costume designer Jenny Beavan (Cruella), because they do a fine job of sucking in even the most fashionably challenged of us, to see the glamor and beauty of these dresses.
Once she makes the trip to the City of Lights, she comes across some sweet vagrants (they always are in movies, aren’t they?). The main one looks like Gerard Depardieu and David Crosby had a baby, and he’s a blast. Once she gets in the front doors of Dior, it’s the grumpy Claudine Colbert (Isabelle Huppert, who is terrific) getting in her way.
There’s a sweet accountant named Andre (Lucas Bravo of Emily in Paris), and a model who is the face of Dior. She’s played by Alba Baptista, looking like a prettier Audrey Hepburn; in real life, she’s dating Chris Evans. They’re both helping Harris (and falling in love).
There are a few minor side stories – a sanitation strike dirtying the streets of Paris. Class commentary, and how Harris is treated by some of the rich snobs; Although one of the rich folks, Marquis de Chassagne (French actor/singer Lambert Wilson from the Matrix movies) takes a liking to Harris and we’re on the edge of our seats wondering where that relationship is going. And it’s absolutely brilliant what the filmmakers did with that storyline.
One other cast member that stands out is Jason Isaacs. He was so good in the movie Mass last year (I still can’t figure out why it was snubbed during awards season). He’s always showing up either being sweet to Mrs. Harris, or using her to watch his dogs while he tries to pick up birds at the bar.
The film could be cloying at times, and it was predictable; but it made me happy, seeing Mrs. Harris happy. I can’t imagine who won’t adore watching Mrs. Harris get her groove back.
3 stars out of 5.