Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

My husband observed that I didn't discuss "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris" yet. He had selected this--a few weeks ago--and it's charming, and it deserves to be seen.

Marc and I do not share an approach to movies. Marc sees most works of fiction as actual documentaries; Mrs. Harris is a real person, and her travails are part of the historical record. (I admire this approach to stories.)

My own weird junkie way of viewing a movie is like how a sports addict views a baseball game. Will Huppert pitch a no-hitter? Lesley Manville in the ring with Jason Isaacs--are these two well-matched welterweights?

Anyway, "Mrs. Harris" is a bit different from what I'd imagined. I thought it would be about a mousy person finding her voice. It has elements of that story, but it's more complicated. Really, it's about how life pushes you in one direction, then another, then another, and how the one thing you can control is just your own conduct. Mrs. Harris has a difficult life, followed by some good fortune--but that good fortune isn't like a tidy "reward." Disappointment follows triumph follows disappointment, as in actual reality.

It's not mandatory that a protagonist should be someone you root for--but a shrewd and resilient and observant protagonist is often not a *bad* thing. Manville makes Mrs. Harris quietly heroic, and funny; she is someone you'd want to have lunch with. And she spends a few days in Paris--so you get to visit Paris, too.

This movie was a highlight of the summer.

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