‘Mrs. Harris’ Trip to Paris’: The magic doesn’t end at midnight

The Spanish bill continues to fight to keep that space for ‘bourgeois’ cinema, these well-being proposals designed for a middle-aged audience, which break with the pairing of big blockbusters or art-house films, are proved by the many premieres of feature films of French production. From time to time, it is those of the British production that manage to reach the theaters, as is the case with ‘Mrs. Harris’ trip to Paris’, a fascinating tale that wins you over for its attention to detail and for having an exquisite protagonist, Lesley Manville.

First screen adaptation of Paul Gallico’s novel ‘Flowers for Mrs Harris’, the film takes up the spirit of the fairy tale, transforming its protagonist into a heroine worthy of a fairy tale. Of course, that essence is just in the coverage, since this gorgeous sixty-year-old Cinderella is not expecting any prince charming, but rather a haute couture dress that changes something inside her and decide to give yourself a new chance in life.

It’s fascinating how Anthony Fabian puts himself first line to a character who, treated differently, would have been relegated to second position. No, the American-born British director, who co-wrote the screenplay with Carroll Cartwright, Keith Thompson and Olivia Hetreed, sets a multifaceted protagonist, who goes beyond what can be expected from a feel-good proposal. First, it’s time to applaud seeing a mature heroine, who has crossed the 60-year barrier, enjoying life and dreaming, something that reality itself shows but hardly reflected in fiction.

It is her main heroine, her charisma, that captivates and makes the rest of the story run like clockwork. Fabian knows how to bring the magic of elegance of 1950s Paris, the director also knows how to capture part of the charm of French good-natured cinema, bringing it to the distinction of the time. Finally, the plot takes place at the Maison Dior, right in the golden decade of Parisian haute couture, when the French capital becomes the Mecca of fashion.

Coupled with a very well written story that is honest and doesn’t betray its romantic comedy essence, “Mrs. Harris’s Journey to Paris” effectively explains the definition of the words kindness, charm and passion. It does so thanks to a story that dares to put a middle-aged cleaning lady at the forefront of saving money to move to Paris to have an haute couture dress made. A feat, an audacity, which combines very well with that fabulous atmosphere, but which Fabian elevates thanks to a good plot pace; as well as leaving a powerful message. It’s not just “it’s never too late”; but that too A designer can create art with fashion, with clothes, but the wearer defines it. And this is where the plot triumphs.

A delightful and fascinating film, with a protagonist in a state of grace

In this line you can see Fabian’s attention to detail. First of all for the choice of the cast. Mrs. Harris’s charisma would not exist if it weren’t for a wonderful Lesley Manville, an actress in a state of grace. A regular collaborator of Mike Leigh, the interpreter brings the kinder side of the British filmmaker with a proposal that, in addition to having the soul of a fairy tale, has an equally multifaceted point of view, since it not only features a middle-aged woman age protagonist at the forefront – remembering that women aged 60 and over have a lot to tell -; but its energy drives that revolutionary spirit that began to take shape in the 1950s and which exploded in the following decade, paying homage to the importance of looking at the workers in the same way, those who make it possible not only to make clothes, but also to all the workers who discreetly maintain the well-being of the city.

Alongside Manville is another great actress, Isabelle Huppert. The French interpreter manages to be the protagonist in her own right in her scenes and brings her particular gesture to a character who, without a doubt, was made for her. They are not the only ones, Fabian also took care of the rest of the cast, with some great Lambert Wilson, Jason Isaacs and Ellen Thomas; Without to forget Lucas Bravo and Alba Baptista, who oozes chemistry and passionoffering a parallel love story that sweetens the main plot.

In addition to having a fabulous cast, the technical section is exquisite. Its scenography is very accurate, the work of Luciana Arrighi, Zoltán Sárdi and Istvan Margit; The photograph of him, by Felix Wiedemann, brings that contrast between gray London, which continues to rebuild itself after the Second World War, against a liberated Paris, full of color and style; its music, composed by Rael Jones, conveys the magical spirit of the fairy tale in a realistic setting; but what stands out the most is her wardrobe, crafted by Jenny Beavan (Oscar winner for ‘A Room with a View’, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ and ‘Cruella’), which is the one that conquers by evoking those golden years of haute couture, paying homage to the master Dior.

“Mrs. Harris’s Journey to Paris” is a waste of glamour, the kind that gets so little expended in cinemas. A cinematic exercise full of charisma, thanks to a protagonist who could very well join Catherine Frot’s Odette. Quality feel-good cinema, with a pedigree, the kind that deserve to be delighted on the big screen. A reminder that captivating stories don’t need excessive fireworks to conquer.

Note: 8

The best: Seeing Lesley Manville is a state of grace. The attention to detail, both in the cast and on a technical level.

Worse: If you don’t get into the fabulous spirit, it will be difficult to enjoy yourself.