(From IMDb.com)
Back in the high society days when newspapers ran popular opinion, soldiers fought and relaxed en masses and something called records were played on a gadget by the name of the radio, there was a woman by the name of Florence Foster Jenkins who lived for music.
But the circumstances of her life conspired against her to truly present the beauty of such a gift with the world.
Oh, but her husband and her money dictated otherwise.
Such is the true tale behind the movie of her name, directed by Stephen Frears from the screenplay by Nicholas Martin. Oh, it’s a pretty picture of those days in the 1900s in Manhattan, when Carnegie Hall was the pinnacle for Cole Porter the songwriter to visit with Telulah Bankhead the actress on his arm.
A full house for a 6:50 p.m. Saturday show in one of Regal Cinemas’ mid-size theaters in its spread in Syracuse’s mega shopping, dining and entertaining complex Destiny USA took in the work of Meryl Streep as Florence Foster Jenkins, Hugh Grant as her mostly doting husband and Simon Helberg as her pianist with wide eyes and open ears.
Streep was the grand dame of American movies that she was and is, bigger than life. Grant was solid, half-doter and half-cad. Theirs was a complicated relationship, which the actors embraced and relayed, every nuance.
True love. I guess. (From IMDb.com)
Helberg was a star as the talented piano player taken in as a startled accompanist, building upon his addled sideman in TV’s sitcom The Big Bang Theory with nice emotional depth as he registers surprise and realization for the layers beneath his bosses.
Yet.
The underlying voice behind this film is Florence Foster Jenkins’ voice.
Everybody close to her knows exactly what it is. She doesn’t.
Everybody else in Jenkins’ life had to decide whether or not they’re in or out in letting her go on believing. Deceit vs. love.
The crowds at her concerts are harder to convince.
So you sit there thinking, are you a laugher, or are you an enabler?
I laughed. I also thought that Streep was over the top in these concert scenes, with her vocal theatrics and mannerisms. And, really, why did this woman deserve a movie?
But when the credits roll, and they show you some real facts about her singing career and the people who loved her, well, OK. The people around me were digging it, awful real voice and all. It came into better focus. And my dear wife Karen liked the movie a lot.
Do you think you’d laugh at the bad voice or cheer at the big heart? What’s your favorite Meryl Streep movie, and why? What’s your favorite Hugh Grant movie, and why?
Mark Bialczak 
she was in that Abba movie no? liked that, and Hugh… awh come on… Notting Hill, Love Actually, and the one with the little boy 😉
xxN
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Love Actually is one of my all-time faves, Niki! ❤
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🙂 awh, yes, it’s so fab 🙂
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I’m going with “Silkwood” as my favorite Streep film and “Notting Hill” for Grant.
I just realized how weird a combination those two films are.
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They are quite a pair, Cyn K. You got that right.
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you have my attention!
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Let me know if you see it, Willow.
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Will do Mark!
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Well, golly gee, bro Mark. I’ve never been a Hugh Grant fan: he acts as though he thinks he’s better than the rest of the world, but that might be that cultured English voice that turns me off. But Meryl Streep? I love her and all of the movies I’ve seen her in. That makes a lot of movies.
As for this particular offering, quite frankly I had never heard of Florence until the networks began singing the praises of the movie. Is this worth spending money to view? Now, taking into consideration that you are a man, and men tend to watch a movie without emotion, I’ll take Karen’s reaction as the norm and say I’ll eventually order it on demand — something we can do here now, and enjoy it in the comfort of my own nest.
Love ya, bro Mark. Angie
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You are right, you are more likely to agree with my dear wife on this one, sis Angie. Love ya!
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I heard this was very good but everyone had different opinions, although I think your tendency is to agree. Could probably never get the kiddos to watch it anyway. I love Meryl Streep. So many great ones.
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Not a kiddo movie, Marissa. At all.
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So many favorites for both of those actors. Sometimes, the smaller ones shine. I just saw a 1980’s Streep/DeNiro movie “Falling in Love”. Very little dialog…all the emotion was conveyed in their face,body language. Amazing skills. Hugh Grant…good in everything. Smart and funny works all the time for me. ☺
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Yes, Hugh has both, Van. I will go back to find ‘Falling in Love’ to catch the Meryl/Robert chemistry on your suggestion.
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I must watch the movie one of these days! Maybe even buy a DVD someday.
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I live near the Wilkes-Barre area! I find the movie delightful from the trailer. I hear they omitted the fact that she was born there. I wonder if they omitted the less savory aspects of her life. Did you watch her Bio on YouTube?
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They did not omit the STD, AW. I read I up on her, but I did not watch her bio on YouTube.
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How about the bald head? That would be funny and that’s what they were aiming for.
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Yes, she took off her wig to go to bed. AW.
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Did they mention Wilkes-Barre?
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That I don’t recall, AW.
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oh, cheer at the big heart, for sure. favorite meryl movie – sophie’s choice. hugh – 4 weddings and a funeral.
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You’re a good one for cheering, Beth. I have to soul-search about this premise. I like your movie choices, too. 🙂
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Interesting movie Mark. It sounds worth seeing. Thank You.
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It was a grand time in Manhattan, Paul. We missed it by a generation. 🙂
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Life was simpler and more personal in those days.
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You betcha.
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