Sunday, August 28, 2016

Florence Foster Jenkins Movie Review

Meryl Streep & Hugh Grant (r) star in Florence Foster Jenkins

Angel of Inspiration

Rotten Tomatoes Plot: A wealthy New York heiress (Meryl Streep as Florence Foster Jenkins) attempts to become an opera singer despite her horrible singing voice. Hugh Grant and Rebecca Ferguson co-star in this biopic directed by Stephen Frears.


Jenkins declares "Music has been, and is my life. Music matters." Trouble is, the same can't be said for (singing) talent. Streep's character yearns for a "profound communion" with her (carefully assembled) audiences; but she's a terrible singer (think William Hung, circa 1944.) It's hilarious at first; but after 30 minutes, the one-note joke begins to wane. We discover the heiress is ill, and Florence Foster Jenkins slips into a drama/near-tragedy with (only) respites of humor towards the end. It still entertains (kudos to Streep and a delightfully awkward Simon Helberg) and odds are, older fans will love it.

Grade: B-