Review of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008) by Brandon M — 11 Nov 2008

A really cute bubbly champagne cocktail of a movie. Amy Adams is suitably adorable but it's Shirley Henderson who steals every scene she's in with her flinty, nervy ice queen- She taps the fear and self-loathing of her "villain" that lesser actresses would've turned into caricature.

Pettigrew aims for the screwball antics of a comedy from the 30s or 40s but at first it's awkward- starchy and stiff where it should be light and airy. But once it gets into it's groove the film is a slight agreeable outing with a pleasant feminist aftertaste.