Delightful screwball comedy based on Winifred Watson's 1938 novel. Set right before the onset of World War II, Frances McDormand plays Miss Pettigrew, a governess who's constantly being fired on account of her prim, judgemental behavious towards her employers. In order to keep off the streets, Miss P. masquerades as a social secretary to a young American actress, Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). Delysia, a flighty thing, has three men on the go at once: Nick, an arrogant nightclub owner, Phil, who she's hoping will cast her as the lead in his new play, and Michael, who loves Delysia for who she is not who she pretends to be.
During the course of a day, Miss Pettigrew helps Delysia understand the important of true love, meanwhile beginning her own tentative romance with lingerie designer Joe Blomfeld (Ciaran Hinds). Plenty of silly, fluffy mishaps, break-ups and make-ups follow. It's silly and slight, but anchored by the performances of its leading actresses. Adams is typically enchanting, whilst Frances McDormand's quiet, sad reflections on the last war add a more serious counterpoint to all the frippery. No classic perhaps, but good frilly fun all the same.
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