This will probably not be a shocking statement, but I do not always make the best decisions when it comes to film choices.  Whether it is at home or the cinema, my instincts sometimes lead me in the wrong direction.  For example, on the weekend of July 15^th, 2022, I thought Where the Crawdads Sing was going to be the better film.  While there are some good aspects to it, my final opinion on it is that it lacked the kind of idealism that makes a movie great for me.  I will leave you to glance at my review to get a fuller picture of my thoughts on it.  My viewing of that one meant that I did not see Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022), which is surprising given that much of it takes place in the City of Lights.  I rarely pass up anything set in the French capital, and this one had the heart that its theatrical competitor lacked.  Plus, this Catholic loves a good view of the Sacre Cœur Basilica, which is featured here.  What more could a cinephile want?

There is not much that Ada Harris (Lesley Manville), the heroine of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris wants, at least on the surface.  Working as a domestic laborer in 1957 London, everyone loves her kind manner, friend and employer alike.  What they do not see is the fact that she is a dreamer.  More immediately, she is holding out hope that her husband, Eddie Harris (not pictured), who has been missing since his plane went down in Europe during World War II, is going to come home.  However, that feeling of longing is soon going to be added to when she sees a Christian Dior (Philippe Bertin) dress in the home of Lady Dant (Anna Chancellor), one of the people who employs Ada.  Aside from how taken Ada is by the frock’s beauty, the fact that Lady Dant has it is a little annoying.  The member of the aristocracy is consistently crying poor, particularly when Ada brings up the subject of backpay.  Further, while Ada is aghast at the £500 price tag for the piece of clothing, it gives her a target for purchasing her own.  For her, who is so often overlooked, even by people closer to her social rank like Archie (Jason Isaacs), a man in her neighborhood on whom she is secretly sweet, a dress like that could give her some respectability.  Thus, her life becomes about saving as much as she can, and taking on extra work, in order to build up the funds to get across the English Channel and make her dream purchase.  She is given a boost when she wins an extra £100 in a sweepstakes.  Next, Archie gets tickets for her and her best friend, Violet “Vi” Butterfield (Ellen Thomas), to see the dog races.  On that night, the number six runner is named “Haute Couture.”  Believing it to be a sign, she puts all of her recent winnings on the greyhound.  While it gets out to a large lead, it pulls up in the middle of the heat and finishes last.  Matters get worse when Ada once more brings up the cash she has been hoping for from Lady Dant, and the society woman not only bilks but says she is reducing the servant’s hours.  Things are looking bleak when the following morning Ada gets a knock on her door.  A representative from the Royal Air Force (RAF) has come to give the final death notice for Eddie.  The subject of money comes up, and at first she thinks they want back pay they accidentally paid her late husband.  Instead, they have come to give her the pension she has been owed as his widow.  More good news arrives when the police provide her an award for a piece of jewelry she found and turned into the authorities.  Finally, Archie stops in to tell her that instead of taking her whole bet, he held back some, made a wager on a more sure race, and has come to give her the prize.  In short, Ada now has the funds to make the trip to the House of Dior.  She is a little overwhelmed upon landing in Paris, and walks the rest of the way into the city, seeking shelter with transients sleeping in the train station.  They turn out to be friendly, and in the morning, one of their number escorts her to her desired destination.  Along the way, she cannot help but comment on the trash piled everywhere.  She is told that it is the result of a strike by the sanitation workers, whose boss, Monsieur Avallon (not pictured), is refusing them a raise.  Upon getting to Christian Dior, Ada believes it will be as simple is picking a dress and paying the money.  However, Dior’s director, Claudine Colbert (Isabelle Huppert), does not take Ada seriously and tries to get rid of the uncouth English woman.  A few come to Ada’s aid, like Dior accountant André Fauvel (Lucas Bravo), but it is the friendly insistence of fellow customer Marquis de Chassagne (Lambert Wilson) that gets her into the room to view the products.  Madame Avallon (Guilaine Londez) is there, too, and she is not happy to be sharing the space with someone so common as Ada.  As such, Madame Avallon convinces Dior to let her purchase the dress Ada desires, although the English woman is happy with her second choice.  What Ada is not prepared for is the weeks it will take to get the frock made, having expected to return to London the next day.  Not wanting to lose a sale due to flagging business, André insists that she stay in her sister’s apartment, who is currently away.  Ada gets a ride to the lodging with Natasha (Alba Baptiste), a Dior model Ada had helped on the way into the show.  Having made dinner, Ada witnesses the romantic tension between André and Natasha, eventually convincing the two to be with one another.  They are not the only ones with whom love is blossoming.  The Marquis de Chassagne is taken with Ada, and they spend a lot of time with one another, both having lost their spouses.  However, any idea of a relationship between them is squelched when he says that she reminds him of a former servant from his childhood.  Also, their interaction almost derails her getting her dress, and Dior’s head seamstress is about to refuse to complete the project until Ada helps out on the shop floor.  Doing so endears her to the rest of the employees, and she is able to lead them in barging into Christian’s office when Claudine tries to fire a number of them.  To save the company, Ada allows André to speak, who has some ideas to modernize their output and allow them to stay in business.  With that, Ada gets her dress, but also smooths things over with Claudine before leaving.  Because of this, Dior sends her the confiscated dress of Madame Avallon when her husband is arrested for swindling the sanitation workers.  It comes after Ada had loaned her new frock to another of her employers, flighty young actress Pamela Penrose (Rose Williams), who accidentally partially burns the expensive clothing item.  With the dress she had initially wanted, Ada wows the crowd at the dance and gets a spin with Archie.

That was a longer than normal synopsis for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, and in my desire to get to the dance, I forget to mention the flowers of apology sent to Ada along with the package and kind words from Dior.  It is kindness that I want to focus on in this section of the review because it is the main theme and it dovetails so well with Christian teaching.  There is a fine line, however, between overt acts of generosity and allowing oneself to be taken advantage of, as seems to be the suggestion with some of what happens to Ada.  The best example is the incident with Pamela.  There is an old saying about being nice to people, that those who can be called nice are willing to give others “the shirt off their back.”  Matthew 5:40, part of the Sermon on the Mount, says, “If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well.”  In this case, the “law” part could be attributed to the employer-employee relationship between Ada and Pamela.  At the same time, it is clear that Pamela is taking advantage of Ada’s reputation for helping those for whom she cares.  The fine line comes in whether you allow this sort of thing to happen.  Scripture tells us that everyone, even our enemies, is worthy of careful and thoughtful consideration.  With this in mind, there are many ways you can bless others than simply handing over money, or a dress you had dreamed of buying.  You can offer prayers or some other material benefit.  Or you can respectfully say no.  It does not feel good when we perceive that someone is using us, and that often acts as a brake on what we give.  Faith would tell you that no matter what, giving is its own reward.  Besides, think of the good you can do by saying yes to the requests of others.  This film is a testament to that fact, and it is immensely satisfying to see Ada get her just deserts for her efforts.

For some, watching Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris might be an effort because it is not a fast-paced action or romance flick.  Instead, it moves at a slower pace, which allows one to better appreciate everything it has to offer, from the good acting to the beautiful scenery.  This one is a definite recommendation.