Thursday, June 23, 2016

"Florence Foster Jenkins" ADVANCE Review

In Florence Foster Jenkins, Hugh Grant paraphrases a Beethoven quote to Simon Helberg: "To play a wrong note is insignificant. To play without passion is inexcusable." Skirting the line between rip-roaring comedy and touching drama, the film celebrates the joy of making music for music's sake, and serves to inspire anyone paralyzed with fear of not being good enough. Trust me, it won't matter.

Meryl Streep stars as the titular character, a 1940's New York heiress who adores music and desires to be an opera singer. The problem? She can't sing.

And now, another edition of my Letterman rip-off:

The Top Ten Things I Can Compare Florence's Voice To

10) The human embodiment of microphone feedback                                                               9) A balloon squeaking out its last breaths         8) A parrot with kidney stones                             7) Your grandma after a gallon of everclear         6) A Bonobo chimpanzee in labor                       5) Poodles having sex                                     4) The sound someone makes when sticking their finger in a pencil sharpener                                   3) Julie Andrews with a lobotomy and punch to the stomach                                                           2) A squirrel with its testicles in a vicegrip           1) A Chihuahua on fire
Hugh Grant plays Florence's dapper husband, St. Clair Bayfield (doesn't that scream harlequin romance lead?), who, not willing to break her heart with the truth, goes to all measures to make sure she never gets discouraged, up to and including bribing journalists to write glorious reviews. With St. Clair, her vocal coach (David Haig), and talented but untried pianist Cosme McMoon (Helberg), Florence is inspired to sing and put herself out there, on records...in clubs...even Carnegie Hall?


This movie is The Emperor's New Clothes meets The Devil Wears Prada: a dive into a strange scene and the even stranger folk that inhabit it. Unlike Miranda Priestly, Streep's Florence is a sweetheart, a woman who lives, breathes, eats, and exists for music. I can't emphasize this enough and neither can director Stephen Frears, who offers just the right glimpses into Florence's glamorous mind. One scene where Florence watches a soprano sing her heart out is magical, and reminds me of the euphoria of listening to something like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" or Queens of the Stone Age's "A Song For the Dead" for the first time.

Florence has her idiosyncracies, but the movie pays them off; one is actually so heart-breaking that it stunned me when it clicked. She's a woman who spares no expense, and while this display of privilege would bother me in other films, Streep plays it with such sincerity that I'm never not on Florence's side. Her heart sings for opera, and when the movie presents me with such pure intentions, how can you not love this woman?

Let not me forget about the supporting cast, our anchors to reality. Grant is great as always, able to hide so much behind an elegant grin. Helberg's a great comic talent, mixing slapstick and vaudeville into a mild-mannered character. His eyes go through six emotions in a flash of a second; it's crazy how so many small details can make this character a ton of fun. I'm not a fan of The Big Bang Theory, but this film made me a fan of Simon Helberg.
Now, because of how webpages work, you've probably scrolled down and noted that despite the praise, I haven't given this film the full six stars. Stephen Frears' direction, despite it being stylish, intelligent, and great at restraining the joke until just the right moment, is also heavy-handed. There are times when the joke is let loose at the wrong time. I err on the side of subtlety, so some of the outbursts seem like too much, especially at a time when I'm already fully supporting Florence.

Also, when the movie is built off of a bunch of lies, the third act gets predictable. However, the movie pays it all off so well, that I can't really get mad. With any other movie, this would be a deal-breaker; here, it's a nitpick.

I'm scared this won't make a splash here in the U.S. but I promise you it's a gem. I left the theater with a smile on my face and a drive to pick up my guitar and practice. Is it cheesy to already call a Best Actress nomination for Streep? Believe me, this is my favorite performance of hers.

Two days ago, I didn't know this movie existed. Today, it's a contender for my favorite of the year. 

Florence Foster Jenkins hits U.S. theaters on August 12th.

Thank you all for reading. I'm the Man Without a Plan, signing off.



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