The Best of the Best, and Worst of the Worst (Continued)

It did take me quite awhile to pin down which film was this years best so far. I knew right away which was the worst, probably because it was so unbelievably horrible, but figuring out the best was much more difficult.

The Best: Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day
Starring: Amy Adams, Frances McDormand, Lee Pace, Ciaran Hands

I thought that this looked like a fun movie, but I wasn't expecting it to turn out to be as good as it was. Amy Adams is fabulous as vain actress Delyssia Lafosse in pre-World War II London. She's juggling three different men, a struggling career, and the schedule of the most talented social-climber. Enter Guinevere Pettigrew (McDormand), she's a governess who mistakenly takes a job as Lafosse's social secretary. This means keeping all the men separate, despite the fact that they're constantly attending the same functions. Two of Lafosse's men are for career advancement, but her true love is poor, piano playing Michael (Pace), who loves her for exactly who she is. I don't know how Adams kept up the super hyper-pace she does throughout the film, and I thought I'd find her annoying, but she turned out to be as lovable as her Enchanted character. She makes this movie absolutely POP. McDormand is wonderful as Pettigrew, who is truly incapable of anything but kindness, and whose eyes are opened wide to Lafosse's entirely different world of privilege and extravagance. She grows to deeply care for her charge, as they realize that they're much more similar than they appear.





*Other notable worthwhile movies of 2008 (so far): Charlie Bartlett, Definitely, Maybe, The Dark Knight, Wall-E, 21, Wanted, Penelope.