Film Review: Florence Foster Jenkins

By Linda Heller-Salvador on June 22, 2016 in Other

Title Florence Foster Jenkins
Genre Comedy/Drama

Florence Foster Jenkins is based on the crazy life of a charming and exuberant New York heiress during the 1940s, who imagined she could be as good an adult opera singer as she was a child prodigy pianist. Unfortunately for her she was in possession of a singing voice reminiscent of a cat being strangled!

Florence, played by a perfectly cast Meryl Streep, is lovingly indulged by her devoted second husband, St Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant), to the point of being naively oblivious to her overwhelming lack of talent. Unperturbed, she enthusiastically pursues her dream by holding small recitals for her affluent friends and societal acquaintances, which culminates with a performance at Carnegie Hall.

Screenwriter Nicholas Martin’s (The Bill) debut feature film is a warm-hearted and bubbly comedy that has been directed by the award-winning Stephen Frears (Philomena, High Fidelity, The Queen).

With gorgeous period costume designs by Consolata Boyle (Philomena, The Queen), a lavish music score by Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (Grand Budapest Hotel) and an amusing scene stealing performance by Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) as Cosme McMoon (Florence’s bewildered piano accompanist), it’s sure to keep you smiling long after you have left the cinema.