(3 out of 5 stars)

At no point was I disappointed with this movie.  Francis McDormand (Fargo) as Guinevere Pettigrew is quirky delightful with a sort of nervous self-confidence, and easily the best thing about this movie filled with good things.  Amy Adams might make you a little nervous that she may be typecasting herself as she plays Delysia Lafosse, a sort of slutty, opportunistic version of Gisselle from Enchanted; but Lee Pace (Ned in Pushing Daisies) makes you love him from almost the second he walks on screen as Michael, Delysia’s sometimes partner and true love.

Miss Pettigrew is an out-of-work London governess who nervously lies her way into becoming Delysia’s social secretary, and is taken for day of excitement and transformation while she slowly helps Delysia figure out life.  It manages to avoid the myriad opportunities for clichés that many movies of this type fall into, and its dawn-of-WW2 setting adds a subtle sort of poignancy to the film.

As far as a movie goes, it is very well done and its subject is well-suited to home viewing.  As a DVD, it is unimpressive in regard to its selection of Bonus Features, but that is not too surprising for a film of its type.  It is a movie that can stand very well on its own merit and does not need the draw of exciting extras to inflate its appeal.