Based mainly in the 1920s, The Chaperone is based loosely on the true story of Louise Brookes, a 15 year old girl in Wichita who dreams of becoming a famous professional dancer in New York.
The Chaperone is a really pleasant film to watch. It’s not mind-blowing five stars good, but easy-to-watch, enjoyable 3-3.5 stars good.
Louise (Haley Lu Richardson) is accepted to study at a modern dance school in New York but her parents insist she cannot go without a chaperone… enter Elizabeth McGovern as Norma Carlisle who many will recognise from her role as Cora Crawley in Downton Abbey.
The two women head to New York with their own plans; Louise to dance her way out of small town Wichita and Norma to find her biological parents who put her up for adoption. No spoilers here about how all that turns out.
If you’re looking for a pleasant way to spend 108 minutes and like a period drama (or 1920s fashion!), then I’d happily recommend this one. Here’s a 3-star review from the Fairfax press if you want to read more.
The Chaperone opens 25 April and is rated PG. Trailer here.