Directed by : Stephen Frears
Written by : Nicholas Martin
Starring : Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg
Release Date : May 5, 2016
I'm sure you're all familiar with Karaoke singers or contestants in singing competition shows who sing their heart out, full of passion, but no matter how much they try, they are just not very good singers, all to an audience's amusement. "Florence Foster Jenkins" might just be one of the premiere pioneers of bad singers who do not know they are bad singers, that somehow managed to captivate many people because of that. This movie is about this very real person, portrayed brilliantly by the great Meryl Streep, and are both the reasons to even be curious about seeing this film.
As directed by Stephen Frears, there's a straightforwardness to this story, that seem to mimic the kinds of simple movies that were released decades ago. Needless to say, it's not a very cinematic movie, and it's the kind of tale you likely have seen many times before already. This is a movie that you can just about easily discard, and that was the feeling I also had when watching it. However, as the movie kept going, I started getting charmed by the primary cast and by the story. I even found myself actually moved during certain scenes, and completely engaged by what was happening on screen.
The theme of the movie, about letting people pursue their passion despite the lack of talent they actually have for it, is an admirable perspective to have by the film. With that said, I'm completely conflicted about the lesson that we are suppose to learn from this movie. In today's day and age of narcissism, delusions of grandeur, and indulgences of the privileged, I'm almost inclined to say that this story about Florence might only negatively encourage those questionable ideals. I may have adored how Hugh Grant's character protected Florence from disparaging criticism, but he's also just sheltering her from the real world. Your opinion on the subject matter, and whether you agree with it, might just determine how much you will like this movie.
It's obvious that "Florence Foster Jenkins" has a very specific target audience in mind who are more inclined to enjoy this movie. While I appreciated the story and the fantastic cast of actors, this is a movie I don't see myself every truly revisiting, nor is it something that I can wholeheartedly recommend seeing. I did enjoy it in many ways, but I was also rather turned off by it as well. Like I said, "conflicted."
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