Lesley Manville: “‘Mrs. Harris’ Trip to Paris’ proves that women of a certain age have a lot to tell”

The magic and illusion of ‘Cinderella’ transform into “Mrs. Harris’s Journey to Paris”. The romantic comedy, which will debut in theaters on December 9tells the tender story of a middle-aged cleaner who lives in London and dreams of wearing a dress designed by Christian Dior himself in 1950s Paris. A movie that “shows the importance of having protagonists of a certain age”. “We need female characters over 50 and with stories centered around them”defends Lesley Manville.

In post-World War II London, Ada Harris (Manville) cleans houses for a living. She has been feeling very lonely since her loving husband Eddie disappeared in action in Germany. Despite this, she tries to look to the future with optimism. pragmatic in nature, the woman will end up falling in love with a wonderful and incredible dress by Christian Dior, which she sees hanging in the bedroom of one of her employers. Since then Ada, who is over 60, has had a dream: to get one of those dresses. Like this, he will work tirelessly to travel to Paris and wear authentic haute couture design. An experience that will go further and that will allow Ada to experience a second youth.

A story based on the homonymous novel by Paul Gallico, which narrates, with a gentle look, a beautiful story starring a 60-year-old woman, something unusual in the film industry. “It’s very important to see women like Ada in the cinema. We need more films starring women of my age, at all levels”, defends Lesley Manville in an interview with eCarteleraemphasizing that you also need to see more feature films “about someone who has to lose, who gets up and gets something”. “Someone from a social class you wouldn’t expect to reach”Insert.

“For me it is essential to bet on this type of protagonist. They are women we don’t often see on the front lines. Many of them, having reached a certain age, think that their life has come to an end. It’s very important to show a protagonist who feels she still has many chapters to tell in her life. Above all, in the aspect of love, because there is the prejudice that when a woman becomes widowed or divorced at a certain age she no longer has the possibility of starting a new life, which is a lie. I wanted to create a character who gives himself a chance to love again and wants to have a partner.”exposes Anthony Fabian, director and co-writer of the film.

A journey through the charm and elegance of 1950s Paris

A feature film, with the soul of good quality cinema and the pedigree, which innovates not only by betting on a female protagonist of a certain age, but also with her secondary characters, as in the case of André Fauvel, the young heartthrob played by the Frenchman Lucas Bravo. “It’s important to show that we are no longer in toxic masculinity and so on we get to see a male character who is vulnerable and quite introverted. Yes, he falls in love with one of the most beautiful women of the Maison Dior, but what he falls in love with is her look, her personality, her ideas. He feels reflected in her, they are two souls that don’t fully fit into that world of fashion, they are fragile. It goes far beyond the concept of beauty”defends the interpreter.

Also Harris’s trip to Paris is an opportunity to rediscover the magic and charm of the French capital of the 1950sa time of beginning of economic splendor. “We have a certain fascination with the time, at least I do. For example, in the 1950s, in France, we are experiencing the Glorious Thirty, also called the Economic Expansion that occurred after WWII. There is a great desire to rebuild all This was also reflected in the style. The 50s are the decade of the New Look, of the search for purity of lines, with bright and fascinating colours. When we see the productions of those years, we feel it is very beautiful.”explains Lambert Wilson. The French actor plays the aristocratic Marquis de Chassagne in the film.

It is also an opportunity to rediscover this type of cinema away from the concept of blockbuster or essay mega-production, designed for a middle-aged audience, which has been orphaned of commercially-oriented titles in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Right now, we need a kind of film like ‘Mrs Harris’s Trip to Paris’, charming and entertaining, with a touch of fairytale, of escapism. We’ve had a horrible couple of years and not everyone wants to go see big action or visual effects productions. There is also interest and appetite for films like this to be enjoyed at the cinema, because it is engaged with an audience to which it has received the least attention”defends Manville.

Directed by Anthony Fabian, who co-wrote the film with Carroll Cartwright, Keith Thompson and Olivia Hetreed, ‘Mrs Harris’s Trip to Paris’ stars Lesley Manville. Also participating are Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson, Ellen Thomas, Jason Isaacs, Lucas Bravo, Alba Baptista, Rose Williams, Anne Chancellor, Guilaine Londez, Christian McKay, Freddie Fox, Roxane Duran and Philippe Bertin as Christian Dior. With music by Rael Jones and produced by Anthony Fabian, Xavier Marchand and Guillaume Benski. A co-production between the UK, France and Hungary. A production of eOne Features, Superbe Films, Moonriver Content and Hero Squared. Available in theaters from this December 9, from the hand of Universal Pictures.