Down-on-her-luck Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) scours pre-World War II London for a steady nanny gig. She brandishes an umbrella in an early scene and we conjure tender memories of Julie Andrews as prim, proper Mary Poppins. Then Pettigrew uses the instrument to retrieve a bra that’s hanging from a chandelier, and we understand Bharat Nalluri’s comedy won’t be as innocent as a spoonful of sugar.
I never mind trading safe for fun, however, and “Pettigrew” is a triumphant lark. The entire cast sways in tune to Nalluri’s snazzy pacing (and jazzy score) as our nanny fibs her way into the good graces of flighty socialite Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). A budding stage actress, Delysia puts Pettigrew to work diverting the suitors scrapping for her attention. The women learn lessons about life and love, while the men wait to be told where they belong in Delysia’s big picture.
McDormand and Adams are a delightful screwball team. Any fears I had that Adams would be a one-trick pony have been assuaged. The “Enchanted” starlet keeps the sweetly self-centered and manipulative Delysia enchanting. But it goes deeper than that. With her alabaster skin and bouncy red curls, Adams discovers the airy, comedic sexpot personality Nicole Kidman has tried (and failed) to humanize on screen.
Miss Pettigrew isn’t the only one who’s able to live the good life for a day, lingerie shopping at The Savoy or taking in afternoon cocktails with London’s elite theater crowd. The light comedy offers us an invitation to peek behind some posh curtains at the exclusive follies of the aristocratic few. Accept without reservation.
