MOVIE REVIEW: MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS

By: Kimberly Grant

Paris.  The land of love and couture.  A place where people flock to fulfil a dream or make things happen.  At least, that is what led to Mrs. Harris going to Paris.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris will be out in theaters starting July 15.

To Paris, With Love

In Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, Ada Harris (played by Lesley Manville) is living a portion of her life.  She is a maid in 1957 London, where the aristocracy and those with a little bit of money take advantage of her kind heart.  Mrs. Harris, whose heart is bigger than her body, spends her days cleaning houses and flats for people who are not consistent in paying her fee while waiting to hear from her husband whose been missing for 13 years. 

One fateful day, Mrs. Harris’ luck changes and she finds herself with a purpose: travel to Paris to buy a one-of-a-kind Christian Dior dress.  Now, this is during a time when Dior was a fashion house that only catered to the wealthy elite and nobility of the world.  So, a lowly maid from London would not be considered their typical clientele. 

A Matter of Character

Directed by Anthony Fabian and written by Fabian, Carroll Cartwright, Keith Thompson, and Olivia Hetreed, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is not just about buying a dress.  It’s about a journey that one woman takes to live a dream.  A dream where most people would say she wasn’t even good enough to dream, let alone achieve.  As the underdog of this story, Mrs. Harris maintains her sense of hope and her spirit of giving.  We should all be a little more like Mrs. Harris.  What starts as a jaunt to Paris for a trip of a lifetime, turns into a story of someone whose very presence makes those around her better.

Rounding out the cast are Jason Isaacs, as Archie, whose crushing on Mrs. Harris.  Ellen Thomas as Vi Butterfield, Mrs. Harris’ Jamaican BFF who encourages her to get out of her own way.  Lucas Bravo (of Emily in Paris fame) as Andre Fauvel, the accountant for the House of Christian Dior.  And, Alba Baptista as Natasha, who is the Face of Dior. 

What good would a story be without a formidable villain, though?  In this story, the villains include the selfishness and self-entitlement of the aristocracy and independently wealthy who treat people like rubbish and expect loyalty.  There’s also a villain with depth in the form of Madame Claudine Colbert (Isabelle Huppert).

Madame Colbert is the type of woman that keeps order by maintaining the illusion of luxury.  How else will people know to look up to you, unless you’re wearing the finest clothes and acting snobbish?  Challenged with keeping the reputation of the House of Dior, Madame Colbert is a force to be reckoned with.  She proves to be the yin to Mrs. Harris’ yang.

Satisfaction in Couture & Culture

This wouldn’t be a review of a fashion movie unless I mentioned the clothes.  Classic Christian Dior and the height of 1950s fashion is on full display in this film.  The vivid imagery of the film’s fashion show put me in the mind of my favorite classical film that used Technicolor.  (Auntie Mame anyone?)  The fashion is flawless and I would be surprised if Mrs. Harris’ costume designer Jenny Beavan isn’t nominated for another Academy Award and a Golden Globe. 

The fashion isn’t the only refreshing visual of the film.  The use of a multi-ethnic cast is refreshing as well.  Being an American, it’s easy to see the 1950s as a time in history where segregation was at its height and African Americans had to fight hard to take their place as American citizens with genuine rights. 

In this 1950s London and Paris, the blacks (or African and Jamaican immigrants) aren’t sitting in the back of the bus.  They’re mixing and mingling with other races and even modeling in high-end fashion houses.  It’s refreshing to see a period film where people of African and Asian descent are treated as equals.  Now, that’s not to say that these European cities were devoid of racism at that time or even now.  It’s just nice to see inclusion on the screen.

Hope Springs

True to the spirit of the titular character, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris gives this blogger hope for a future and hope of achieving dreams.  It just takes a willing heart, a willingness to put in the work, and a kind spirit.  If Mrs. Harris does anything other than showcase a woman putting out good and getting good in return, it’s showing that God helps those who help themselves.

Interested in more summer movie blogs?  You can read my review of Thor: Love & Thunder here.

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