Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
A Cinderella story that will charm most of you cynical SOBs.
A widowed cleaning lady in 1957 London has but one dream, to own a Christian Dior dress. At dog races, she gambles while she saves her meager earnings, and eventually finds a way to defy reality and fly to Paris.
Lesley Manille saves this movie from its unfortunate weaknesses playing Mrs. Harris. Charming at every turn, she finds a way to maneuver the halls at Dior’s headquarters where she lands a seat next to the wealthy and influential women of Paris. How it happens becomes meaningless as you end up smiling nearly as often as Mrs. Harris.
With the exception of the Dior supervisor (Isabelle Huppert), other employees played by Lucas Bravo, Alba Baptiste and Lambert Wilson quickly become her good friends. She leads them in a strike as Dior learned the need to appeal to the average person.
Upon returning to London, Mrs. Harris discovered the value of demanding dignity in her daily life. Her interaction with her close friend Ellen (Vi Butterfield) and Barkeep Archie (Jason Isaacs) left you wanting to applaud as the film ended.
While reviewers like the New York Times dismissed this film for the inspiration provided by a poor cleaning lady, you are likely to embrace this film for that very reason. Ms. Manville, previously Oscar nominated for her role in Phantom Thread (2017), sprinkles magic as if she is a human tooth fairy.
