4 out of 5 stars
The world of haute couture and the House of Dior is rich with storytelling and filmmaking potential. A world of high finance, competition, and perfection. Films like The Devil Wears Prada and House of Gucci have dramatised this high-stress environment. So, it is refreshing to have such a charming alternative. A film that champions an unlikely hero from humble standings, who's gentle genuity warms hearts. Mrs Harris Goes to Paris is a film about respect, equality, and opportunity. A film dedicated to those who dream.
Mrs. Ada Harris is a widowed cleaning lady who works in London in 1957. She becomes obsessed with her client's haute couture Dior dress, which inspires her to buy her own Dior dress. After suddenly receiving a war-widow's pension, she travels to Paris to do so. Upon stumbling into a showing of Dior's 10th-anniversary collection, she is befriended by the Marquis de Chassagne (Lambert Wilson), a wealthy patron, André (Lucas Bravo), the Dior accountant, and Natasha (Alba Baptista), a Dior model. However, the Dior director, Claudine (Isabelle Huppert), resents Ada's intrusion into the exclusive world of haute couture. But as Dior has fallen on hard financial times, and Ada will pay in cash, they reluctantly agree to make her a dress.
Sweet, light, and kind, this beloved story is a charming old-fashioned story with lots of whimsy and wit. The central character is embodied by a lovely Lesley Manville. Her delightful interpretation of Mrs. Harris brings wholesome warmth to all she meets as she follows her dream of owning a gorgeous Dior dress. It is reminiscent of other delightful British films like Paddington or The Lady in the Van. A film that’s warm and cozy, but with a hefty dose of grounded heart. Lesley Manville is genuinely luminous, and you are rooting for the cleaning lady from London every step of the way. She brings out the best in people, and it is lovely to see her cared for, valued, and empowered towards the end as she realises her dreams and gets her spark back.
Speaking of spark, Jenny Beavan’s replica Dior dresses are divine. Simply wow! It’s a gorgeously costumed affair and that is not limited solely to the showroom at Dior. The period costuming is charming and there is plenty of hats and petticoats to spare. This whole Parisian affair is a truly transportive experience that immerses us into 1950’s London and Paris.
This outing is the third film adaptation of the 1958 novel Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico, after a German and British TV film starring the late Angela Lansbury. It was a privilege to hear from the screenwriter of this adaptation, Keith Thompson (The Sapphires), before the film began and about the love, passion, and patience poured into it. Despite being a simple film, and going the way you expect it will, Mrs. Harris' story is delightful and earnest that even the most cynical heart will thaw.
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One of Mrs. Harris’ greatest strengths is her loving disposition to all. Whether it be drunken French men sleeping in a train station, the varied clients she cleans for, or the models and seamstresses at Dior. She seeks to treat them all as equally human and worthy of dignity and respect.
She models Christ in this manner. Jesus did not judge people by their outward appearances or public standing. He talked and ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. The carpenter looked past these labels, straight to their hearts, and sought to meet their greatest need, the sin that separates them from God. Jesus loved them, but did not shy away from challenging them to change. Have you experienced this non-judgemental love? Do you love others as Christ loves you?
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” - John 7:24
