12 thoughts on “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) Serves the Couture

  1. I thought the costumes in this were GORGEOUS, but the movie overall kind of left me feeling “okay.” I didn’t LOVE it, and I didn’t dislike it. That being said, SPOILER: it was a stretch for me to believe that a dress specifically made for the tiny, willowy-thin Mrs. Harris would fit on the ultra-curvy, broad-shouldered girl who later wore it. That’s just not remotely possible.

    1. When I look at how beautiful and elegant couture fashion was in the year I was born and compare it to what we see on the runways now – it sometimes seems like I’m viewing a lost civilization. I know that ordinary fashions were not Christian Dior, but when I look at pictures of my own lovely mother in 1950s clothes that aspired to that kind of elegance- oh well! Whathca gonna do! :)

      1. Having seen the big Dior exhibition when it was in London at the V&A what was interesting was how so many of the early clothes were just beautiful well made clothes but not especially spectacular. It’s only later that you get themes and deliberate extravagance. Everybody had to have have their clothes made, some hand made them at home, and some went to Paris.

    2. But it didn’t fit Mrs. Harris. There was a gap at the bust and the torso length wasn’t quite right either. I wondered about the bad fit until that plot point happened. Then it was obvious that the gown was fit to the actress and not to Mrs. Harris. Overall, I did enjoy the movie. it was frothy and unbelievable, but definitely fun and the costumes were gorgeous!

  2. Oooh let me tell you I love the 1992 version
    (Though for some reason when they showed the Dior fashion show, I cannot put my finger on it I think one of the gowns/ensembles shown looked very 1990s. Well at least to me).

    And your description of this version is perfect for the 1992 version as well, a pretty little thing, frothy, fun, and simple as can be.

    (Here is the link, since you can even watch it right on Youtube:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYa2AJEr5mg )

    Watching the 1992 version, actually made me read the novel and the rest of the series
    ( Yes, the novel this is based on is the 1st in a series of novels all about the adventures of Mrs. Harris. One of which was she going to Russia, I am assuming it was set in the same the novel was released so in the 1970s Russia specifically and you can imagine the adventure 🤣🤣 )

    Now ofcourse that does mean I can’t help but compare the two movies, but like you said this version can perfectly stand on its own

    What is interesting both versions deviate from the novel in their own way.

    Though for the 2022 version, their are 3 things that made me think at least in the way the handle the story compared to the 1990s version.

    The 1st is the one regarding Mrs. Harris’s relationship with the Marquis. In the book, it was pretty clear that it is more of a friendship than a romance.

    It was stated that one of the reasons was that Mrs. Harris reminded Marquis of the cleaning lady he met when he was a boy studying in London ( he gave her the nickname Mrs.Mops).

    1992 does sometimes try to make it a bit romantic, but he also mentions how she reminded him of Mrs.Mops. Yet in 2022, I have this feeling that they were making it look like Mrs.Harris was starting to have romantic feelings for the Marquis and they move the scene of him saying how she reminded him of Mrs.Mops and made it some sort of tragedy in that he does not have the same romantic feelings for her. Then (SPOILER FOR THE 2022 VERSIONS) later on introducing a new supposed love interest.

    The 2nd one I guess is making Madame Colbert, the sort of villain. I am not sure of the reasoning behind making her the snobbish villain by replacing Monsieur Armand with her. When both the novel and 1992 made her a sort of ally to Mrs.Harris.

    Though maybe it was for the best. I can acknowledge that, it’s just something that makes me think 🤔

    The final one is a SPOILER FOR THE NOVEL AND THE 2022 FILM, but I guess the fact that they had kept the same ending in this one as in the novel.

    Mostly because Mrs.Harris was so precious and after all the bullsh*t to get that fu**ing gown. All to let that aspiring actress to ruin it, I am not sure whether to cry or go out and slap that actress 🤣🥲 🥺

    Actually, when I think about this and the 1st thing/thought I mentioned, I guess what links both of them is that they both made me sad that it caused Mrs.Harris some sort of pain or distress unnecessarily.

    ESPECIALLY WHEN IT WAS NOT EVEN IN THE NOVEL… sorry I am good now and after letting all that out 😤😤😫😂😂

    Thank you for reading this and getting this far 😁😁😊😊

  3. Oooh let me tell you I love the 1992 version
    (Though for some reason when they showed the Dior fashion show, I cannot put my finger on it I think one of the gowns/ensembles shown looked very 1990s. Well at least to me).

    And your description of this version is perfect for the 1992 version as well, a pretty little thing, frothy, fun, and simple as can be.

    I think you can even still watch a full movie on Youtube

    Watching the 1992 version, actually made me read the novel and the rest of the series
    ( Yes, the novel this is based on is the 1st in a series of novels all about the adventures of Mrs. Harris. One of which was she going to Russia, I am assuming it was set in the same the novel was released so in the 1970s Russia specifically and you can imagine the adventure 🤣🤣 )

    Now ofcourse that does mean I can’t help but compare the two movies, but like you said this version can perfectly stand on its own

    What is interesting both versions deviate from the novel in their own way.

    Though for the 2022 version, their are 3 things that made me think at least in the way the handle the story compared to the 1990s version.

    The 1st is the one regarding Mrs. Harris’s relationship with the Marquis. In the book, it was pretty clear that it is more of a friendship than a romance.

    It was stated that one of the reasons was that Mrs. Harris reminded Marquis of the cleaning lady he met when he was a boy studying in London ( he gave her the nickname Mrs.Mops).

    1992 does sometimes try to make it a bit romantic, but he also mentions how she reminded him of Mrs.Mops. Yet in 2022, I have this feeling that they were making it look like Mrs.Harris was starting to have romantic feelings for the Marquis and they move the scene of him saying how she reminded him of Mrs.Mops and made it some sort of tragedy in that he does not have the same romantic feelings for her. Then (SPOILER FOR THE 2022 VERSIONS) later on introducing a new supposed love interest.

    The 2nd one I guess is making Madame Colbert, the sort of villain. I am not sure of the reasoning behind making her the snobbish villain by replacing Monsieur Armand with her. When both the novel and 1992 made her a sort of ally to Mrs.Harris.

    Though maybe it was for the best. I can acknowledge that, it’s just something that makes me think 🤔

    The final one is a SPOILER FOR THE NOVEL AND THE 2022 FILM, but I guess the fact that they had kept the same ending in this one as in the novel.

    Mostly because Mrs.Harris was so precious and after all the bullsh*t to get that fu**ing gown. All to let that aspiring actress to ruin it, I am not sure whether to cry or go out and slap that actress 🤣🥲 🥺

    Actually, when I think about this and the 1st thing/thought I mentioned, I guess what links both of them is that they both made me sad that it caused Mrs.Harris some sort of pain or distress unnecessarily.

    ESPECIALLY WHEN IT WAS NOT EVEN IN THE NOVEL… sorry I am good now and after letting all that out 😤😤😫😂😂

    Thank you for reading this and getting this far 😁😁😊😊

  4. These costumes are beautiful, and Jenny Beavan always does an excellent job, but I’m rooting for a second win for Ruth E. Carter on Oscar night.

    It’s probably a long shot since Carter is nominated for the sequel to the movie she previously won an Oscar for, but she actually topped herself in this one with an entirely new set of “world-building” costumes.

    The examples of Beavan’s work you show are impressive, but it’s also recreating a well-known established look– and unfortunately, it can’t avoid the question: “How much of our reaction to the costumes is due to Christian Dior?”

    (And yeah, I know– given the plot of the film, that’s a pretty much unavoidable problem.)

  5. I’ve never dared to watch the film (either of them) because the end of the book left me so sad for Mrs Harris! But the frocks do look so gorgeous…

  6. A large portion of comfort food of a movie – one to be consumed on a squashy sofa on a rainy evening, surrounded by cats and chocolate.

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