Film: Mrs Harris Goes to Paris

Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, based on Paul Gallico's novella " Flowers for Mrs Harris" has been adapted for stage and screen several times. The book tells the story of a hard working, Cockney charlady who gets it into her head that she wants to own a Dior haute couture dress and her adventures in making this happen.

This version directed and co-written by Anthony Fabian fleshes the story out, providing motivation and a feel good ending rather than the more poignant bitter sweet one of the book, The main character is played by Lesley Manville, a recent Academy Award nominee for her performance as Daniel Day Lewis' elegant but icy sister in "The Phantom Thread". Although both films are set in the fashion world of the 1950s., they couldn't be more different. While "The Phantom Thread" was about obsession, power games, and the sterility of beauty, "Mrs Harris Goes to Paris," is about warmth, kindness and friendship and the power of beauty to bring life.

Not that Mrs Harris is a miserable person, even at the beginning of the film. Still faithful to her husband Eddie, missing in action for 14 years, she gets on with life. In her headscarf and wrap round pinny, she appears content with her lot. She cheerfully flits from one posh house to another, clearing up the mess of her wealthy employers, having a drink with her Caribbean friend, Vi (Ellen Thomas) and bantering with Irish bookmaker Archie (Jason Isaacs). But then one day she comes across a beautiful, shimmering Dior dress in the wardrobe of Lady Dant (Anna Chancellor). She is transfixed, never having seen anything so beautiful in her life. The dress obviously symbolises for her a life of beauty and potential that exists beyond what she has so far experienced. She realises she wants this and is determined to own such beauty whatever the obstacles and challenges it might involve.

And there are many of these but eventually she manages to save up the money she needs and arrives at the house of Dior for its 10th anniversary collection with £500 in notes naively expecting to buy her frock. Clearly out of place among the sophisticated and wealthy clientele, the directrice played by Isabelle Huppert, tries to usher her out. The chivalrous Marquis de Chassagne (Lambert Wilson), however, seeing her discomfort gallantly comes to her rescue and invites her to accompany him to the show. One of the treats of the film is a ring side seat at this famous Dior collection reproduced for the film with exact replicas of the garments created by award winning costume designer Jenny Beaven and her team.

Despite her lowly social origins, Mrs Harris' freshness and authenticity, win her friends at the House of Dior. She is looked after by a young bespectacled accountant (Lucas Bravo) and one of the beautiful models, Natasha (Alba Baptista) while her dress is finished. She goes on to have a magical week in Paris, seeing the sights, being wined and dined by the Marquis and making a profound impact of the future of the House of Dior, before coming home to face her own reality but changed by her experiences.

The film is a lovely fable with a bit of social comment along the way, about what is of real worth and the power of goodness, beauty and truth to change lives, whether it is through the personality of Mrs Harris, or the beauty of a Dior dress!

Mrs Harris Goes to Paris went on general release in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 30 September 2022.

Watch the official trailer here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO9JcPbbmAA