McDormand, Adams shine in "Miss Pettigrew Lives" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - So fluffy that it threatens to blow off the screen at any moment, "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" sustains itself through glorious star turns by gifted actresses Frances McDormand and Amy Adams.

This is a self-described "fairy tale for adults," set in a Noel Coward London of 1939 with ornate and spacious flats, actresses of easy virtue, lavish cocktail parties and sophisticated men and women who trade quips (and an occasional punch) with the flick of a cigarette. McDormands penniless, middle-age governess crosses paths with Adams flighty but ambitious American actress for a mere day, which is enough to transform the lives of both women.

The film, adapted by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy from a newly rediscovered 1939 novel by Winifred Watson, comes at you in a whirlwind of comic coincidences, sentimental yearnings, amorous betrayals and rapid costume changes. The Focus Features release, as enjoyable as it is forgettable, should find enthusiasm among older audiences in specialized venues -- those who can either remember 1939 or at least imagine it. A clutch of musical standards from that era by Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer and Yip Harburg wrap the package in a nostalgic glow.

Miss Guinevere Pettigrew, fired again for a personality clash with her latest employer, hits the streets homeless, broke and dazzlingly disheveled and mousy. Nobody does disheveled and mousy like McDormand. But an extreme makeover is just around the corner. What she first encounters around that corner is Delysia -- as in Delicious -- Lafosse, Adams effervescent take on a Depression-era, self-absorbed actress desperate enough to sleep her way to the top.

As Pettigrew enters a lavishly appointed penthouse for an interview as a "social secretary" -- a position for which she has no experience -- those sleeping arrangements have tripped Delysia up. The man in her bed, Phil (Tom Payne), a junior impresario about to cast the lead in his next musical, is not the owner of the flat. That would be Nick (Mark Strong), owner of the nightclub where Delysia sings -- who is on his way up at that moment.

Pettigrew extricates Delysia from this predicament with such world-weary aplomb that you wonder where these particular skill sets come from. Nevermind, she will continue to work her "magic" during the course of the next 24 hours, providing advice and comfort that place Delysia in the path of true love -- that being her besotted pianist Michael (Lee Pace) -- while sorting out a broken engagement between fashion industry maven Joe (Ciaran Hinds) and his gold-digging fiancee Edythe (Shirley Henderson). She also finds true love herself.

McDormand is grounded enough in a kind of no-nonsense pragmatism that feels more like "Fargo" than Mayfair that you can totally buy her twinkling-of-an-eye transformation into a savvy social negotiator. Adams more or less reprises her princess from "Enchanted," only with a beguiling touch of ditzy naughtiness.

The Battle of Britain has been moved up a year so that air raid sirens and bombers rumbling in night sky can provide a "serious" backdrop to this foppish folly. This doesnt really work, but it causes little harm, either. "Miss Pettigrew" remains a romantic comedy where people break down in the midst of a torch song and the heart finds its way despite ribald distractions.

Bharat Nalluri provides well-paced direction with the lightest of touches. The respective costume and production designers, Michael OConnor and Sarah Greenwood, do wonders with a modest budget, while cinematographer John de Borman gives everything a marvelous sheen.

Cast:

Guinevere Pettigrew: Frances McDormand

Delysia Lafosse: Amy Adams

Michael: Lee Pace

Joe: Ciaran Hinds

Edythe: Shirley Henderson

Nick: Mark Strong

Phil: Tom Payne

Director: Bharat Nalluri; Screenwriters: David Magee, Simon Beaufoy; Based on the novel by: Winifred Watson; Producers: Nellie Bellflower, Stephen Garrett; Executive producer: Paul Webster; Director of photography: John de Borman; Production designer: Sarah Greenwood; Music: Paul Englishby; Co-producer: Kame Frazer; Costume designer: Michael OConnor; Editor: Barney Pilling.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter