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“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris”
A widowed cleaning lady in 1957 London has but one dream: to own a Christian Dior dress. At dog races, she gambles while she saves her meager earnings and eventually finds a way to defy reality and fly to Paris.
Lesley Manville saves this movie from its unfortunate weaknesses playing Mrs. Harris. Charming at every turn, she finds a way to maneuver the halls at Dior’s headquarters, where she lands a seat next to the wealthy and influential women of Paris. How it happens becomes meaningless as you end up smiling nearly as often as Mrs. Harris.
With the exception of the Dior supervisor (Isabelle Huppert), other employees played by Lucas Bravo, Alba Baptista and Lambert Wilson quickly become her good friends. She leads them in a strike as Dior learns the need to appeal to the average person.
Upon returning to London, Mrs. Harris discovers the value of demanding dignity in her daily life. Her interaction with her close friend Vi (Ellen Thomas) and barkeep Archie (Jason Isaacs) leaves you wanting to applaud as the film ended.
While reviewers like The New York Times dismissed this film for the inspiration provided by a poor cleaning lady, you are likely to embrace this film for that very reason. Manville, previously Oscar-nominated for her role in “Phantom Thread” (2017), sprinkles magic as if she is a human tooth fairy.
“Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down”
U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in the head while holding a campaign stop in Arizona in 2011. A judge, a little girl and a member of her staff were killed. She was shot two days before she was to start in vitro fertilization.
As of early July, the U.S. had more than one mass shooting every day in 2022 and no week without at least four shootings. As I write this, two mass shootings took place on the same day in Greenwood and Beech Grove.
While this moving documentary focuses on gun reform, it centers on Giffords’ recovery with the help of her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly. While she lost the use of her right arm and leg, Giffords had to learn how to talk again. Kelly was there at every turn and was soon elected U.S. senator following the death of John McCain.
As to gun reform, it is important to note that our couple are gun owners. Leading a gun safety reform group known simply as Giffords, they want our country to focus on gun violence, not just gun possession. Former President Obama spoke on behalf of Giffords in this film.
As I watched this film, I couldn’t help but notice Indiana officials praising the young man who shot and killed the Greenwood assassin. Not only did they overlook how he was able to buy his weapon, but how a similarly armed good citizen came close to shooting the wrong person when Giffords and others were gunned down.
In that regard, we cannot let politicians advocate turning our country into a daily gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Certain weapons like AR-15s serve no other purpose than to kill innocent people, and they must be banned so Americans can live full, healthy lives. Keep in mind that AR-15s or similar weapons were used in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the 2015 San Bernardino attack, the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, the 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting and the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. And then there was Uvalde and Buffalo.
Giffords’ ordeal must be both admired and remembered. We need a gun policy where we can erase American ridicule and earn international respect. We need to do this in the name of Giffords.•
Robert Hammerle practices criminal law in Indianapolis. When he is not in the courtroom or the office, Bob can likely be found at one of his favorite movie theaters preparing to review the latest films. To read more of his reviews, visit www.bigmouthbobs.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
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