The films today are as different as day and night. One is a light fairy tale set in the 1950’s, with an irrepressible heroine; while the second is a bleak psychological crime thriller marked by strong film portrayals.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (On Demand Amazon Prime) - This film is actually a fairy tale that’s set in the late 1950s; and is fueled by a slight narrative about a charwoman who falls in love with the Dior gown of one of the ladies she works for. When she comes across some money, she flies to Paris to buy such a frock. As you can see, when this novel of Paul Gallico came out in 1958, there was a naive charm about it, centered on the impossible quest, and achieving it in the land of the French - who for the English of that era, were an impossible people. This is in fact the third adaptation of the novel, and the one of 1992 had Angela Lansbury playing Mrs. Harris. Here, we have the always impressive Lesley Manville, supported by Isabelle Huppert, Lucas Bravo (both recent Manila visitors), and Lambert Wilson.
As it is, be forewarned that the establishing of the character of Mrs. Harris is done at a languid pace, and it’s a good 30 minutes before we’re flying to Paris. It’s no surprise that things pick up in the French capital. Mrs. Harris is met by snobbery, class prejudices, and the rarefied world of haute couture. Naturally, the naïveté comes in the form of how she’s so indefatigable and irrepressible, making believers of even the flintiest of aristocrats and the upper class. There’s a little sidebar about the workers’ strikes that beset Paris during this time, and it segues nicely to how Mrs. Harris is working class, and won’t let snobbery bring her down. I mention naïveté, as in today's world, we know it would be far more difficult to enter a noted designer’s atelier, much less afford the Dior gown. Nostalgic, and wonderfully rendered.
The Stranger (Netflix Australia) - Here’s an Australian product that can boast of tension-filled, terrific performances from its two lead stars, Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris. It’s filmed in Australia, but if you had to name a known American film or series that it references, I’d call it Breaking Bad in the Outback, in the sense that we’re talking undercover, the world of petty and organized crime, and we have characters who live in the margins of society, and could easily be slotted in as sociopaths. Written and directed by Tom Wright, the film is a factionalized account of a true crime child abduction case, and the murder investigation that followed, involving an undercover police officer befriending the prime suspect.
The film had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this year, and competed under Un Certain Regard section. At its core, this is a deep and stark psychological drama. Edgerton as Mark, the undercover cop, is constantly conflicted by the imminent threat of being revealed as a police officer. And Harris as Henry is the classic petty criminal, keeping all information of his past close to his chest, as he tries to evade capture and yet lead some kind of life that allows him to earn money and form bonds with those who are criminals such as him. Bleak and dark, don’t expect a lot of action scenes or gunplay, this is really more about playing with the mind of the suspect, and getting him to confess by any means possible. And it’s the portrayals by both Edgerton and Harris that shine!