McDormand is left trying for emotional depth in a sea of middling farce and semi-sophisticated comedy.

McDormand brings a Chaplinesque pathos to this snappy period comedy. Fabulous frocks, tasty men, female bonding, art deco apartments to die for; it's like Sex And The City set in 1930s London. I could have happily watched it for hours...

It's lucky that Amy Adams and Frances McDormand lend their best charms to Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, otherwise this featherweight Art Deco fancy might drift away like a soap bubble, and go 'pop!'

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day reminds us why Golden Age cinema works, why those perfect endings were perfect, and why sometimes knowing with whom everyone will end up delights rather than feels predictable.