Une robe pour Mrs. Harris

This is a well-directed and well-acted film about an English charwoman who becomes besotted with a Dior dress, and eventually manages to cobble up the funds to go to the House of Dior in Paris to buy one. But a Dior dress is not something she can buy off-the-rack, and so Mrs Harris has time for side adventures. The film is well-directed and well-acted, and allegedly the re-creations of Dior are authentic.

This is a European production, not Hollywood. Everyone speaks their own language, and at one point one French character admonishes another to speak in English (in the presence of Mrs Harris). At some points, I wished for full closed-captioning rather than just subtitles, since sometimes Mrs Harris slipped into a difficult-to-understand accent. Also, there were background plot points that just flashed by, so I needed an explanation from a companion.

Decades ago I had read the novel, and so was eager to see the film. I don't remember details, but the bones of the story was there, even though the ending was tweaked. A recommended film for those who wish to avoid the summer blockbusters.