David R. Walker

Posts Tagged ‘Lucas Bravo’

Mrs Harris Goes to Paris

Director: Anthony Fabian

Cast: Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson, Alba Baptiste, Lucas Bravo, Jason Isaacs, Christian McKay, Freddie Fox, Ellen Thomas, Roxanne Duran

Film Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Running Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes

This film is in English and French with subtitles.

Oscar nominee Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) returns to the world of 1950’s fashion in the delightful remake of the 1992 Television film Mrs Harris Goes to Paris based on the novel by Paul Gallico and stars as a London cleaning lady Ada Harris.

Upon finding out that her beloved husband was declared dead while missing in action in World War II, Mrs Harris receives a War Widow’s pension pay out from the military and through a series of fortunate events saves up enough money to tell her friend Violet Butterfield played by Ellen Thomas and her male friend Archie played by Jason Isaacs (Hotel Mumbai, A Cure for Wellness) that she is going to Paris to buy a Christian Dior haute couture dress worth 500 pounds. This is 1957 in London, so that was a tidy sum to pay for a frock.

As the title suggests, Mrs Harris does indeed go to Paris to the eccentric and complicated House of Dior run by Madame Colbert wonderfully played with panache by Oscar nominee Isabelle Huppert (Elle) and soon makes friend with the young and dashing account manager Andre Fauvel played by Emily in Paris star Lucas Bravo (Ticket to Paradise). As Mrs Harris soon discovers everything at Dior is not what they seem, despite the gorgeous gowns and the glamour. The fashion house is in economic decline and needs to attract a new set of clientele.

With her forthright and street smart attitude, Mrs Harris soon gets her beautiful dress while disrupting the House of Dior and warding off the overtures from the fussy but debonair Marquis de Chassagne played by French actor Lambert Wilson (The Matrix Resurrections, 5 to 7), while realizing deep down that she will eventually have to return to her life as a cleaning lady and deal with her posh employers including Giles Newcombe played by Christian McKay and Lady Dant wonderfully played by Anna Chancellor (Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Dreamers).

Extremely well cast with both British and French actors, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris is a delightful film about a woman fulfilling her dreams while gaining a beautiful dress and finding a place to eventually show off that gown with the real man of her dreams. Lesley Manville is exceptional as Mrs Harris downplaying the role to perfection while making Mrs Harris believable and more significantly relatable.

The young actors Lucas Bravo and Alba Baptiste provide some eye candy, while the Dior gowns steal the show particularly the infamous dress which makes international headlines.

If viewers love an excellent feel good film, then watch Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, its light enough not to be taken too seriously but strong enough to make a lasting impression as it subtly makes comments about industrial action, class relations and high fashion.

Mrs Harris Goes To Paris gets a film rating of 7.5 out of 10 and is highly recommended viewing.

Ticket to Paradise

Director: Ol Parker

Cast: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Kaitlyn Dever, Maxime Bouttier, Romy Poulier, Lucas Bravo, Billie Lourd

Film Rating: 7 out of 10

UIP Film Preview Release as seen at Suncoast Cinemas

Running Time: 1 hour 44 minutes

Oscar winners George Clooney (Syriana) and Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) unite for a romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise directed by Ol Parker (Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again) who play a high powered divorced couple David and Georgina Cotton who against their will have travel to Bali when their only daughter Lily falls in love with a handsome local boy Gede played by French Indonesian actor Maxime Bouttier. Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd plays Lily’s hapless friend Wren Butler.

The laughs start on the plane ride to Bali when David discovers that his ex-wife is having an affair with the gorgeous but dorky airline pilot Captain Paul played by Emily in Paris star Lucas Bravo. As the divorced couple get to Bali and meet Lily and Gede, they hatch a rather selfish plan to prevent the wedding at all costs, fearing that they will lose the only connection they have to each other: their beautiful headstrong daughter.

Lily is wonderfully played by Booksmart star Kaitlyn Dever who holds her own in the scenes with these two veteran film stars as onscreen parents as she tries to navigate around her parents complicated marital history.

While many of the Balinese customs are subtly introduced into the film, director Ol Parker makes full use of the exotic and vibrant location of Bali, Indonesia. Ticket to Paradise really focuses on the complex relationship between the parents, both superbly played by George Clooney and Julia Roberts who are no strangers to romantic comedy. In fact Julia Roberts become famous with the biggest romantic comedy of all time Pretty Woman back in 1990.

Sexy silver fox star of TV and film, George Clooney who really makes this film is also no stranger to romantic comedies having appeared in Intolerable Cruelty opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2003 and in One Fine Day opposite Michelle Pfeiffer in 1996. George Clooney is particular good as the over-protective but goofy father in Ticket to Paradise.

Ticket to Paradise is a witty, vibrant and exotic romantic comedy set in Bali about finding first love and old love rekindled, a light-hearted story which should not be taken too seriously with all four stars acting on point while Lucas Bravo provides the laughs as the really out of sync but dashing airline pilot who seems to always turn up in that awkward moment at a Balinese villa.

There are lots of bitter innuendo’s, emotional heartbreak and eventual family bonding, but if audiences feel like a light and colourful film, then book your Ticket to Paradise now – you won’t be disappointed.

Ticket to Paradise gets a film rating of 7 out of 10 and is worth seeing. Recommended viewing.