Florence’s calibrated performances and farcical tone makes it an effective crowd-pleaser
Based on the real life of a well-known singer with an unmistakable appalling voice in early 20th century Manhattan, Florence Foster Jenkins is the new film by Stephen Frears — following The Program (2015) and Philomena (2013). While it’s true that it breaks no new ground whatsoever in aesthetic terms and that a large part of the script is a sort of flat, it’s equally true that the finely calibrated performances and the farcical tone makes it an effective crowd-pleaser with more than a handful of genuine highlights.
Florence Foster Jenkins was a socialite and a devoted opera buff, totally in love with music and with her longtime husband, St. Clair Bayfield — an English mediocre actor — with whom she didn’t live together since he had a younger woman as a mistress and so he lived with her. Overtly or implicitly, Florence and St. Clair had an agreement about this.
Incredibly unaware of her awfully off-key voice, she hired famous professors to teach her how to sing works from Mozart, Verdi and Brahms. Of course, neither the husband nor the maestros ever told her how bad her singing was. On the contrary, they encouraged her to believe she was a good singer that kept improving as her vocal training went on.
But they didn’t do it out of cruelty or to make fun at her - not at all. It so happens that Florence was a very generous, welcoming woman who needed music like she needed air to breathe. Or perhaps even more. And for a very good reason that won’t be disclosed here as not to spoil one of the film’s most emotional moments. For Florence does have a couple of very touching scenes that rightfully belong to the realm of your most typical tearjerkers.
Set in 1944, Frear’s new opus features Meryl Streep as Florence, Hugh Grant as St. Clair, and Simon Helberg as Cosmé McMoon, a young pianist Florence hires for her new shows. Believe it or not, her recitals had audiences that applauded her singing. The thing is that Bayfield organized them but only with small audiences that knew what to expect and were paid to react favorably. At the same time, he shielded her from mean music critics. But when she organizes her own show at Carnegie Hall, then that’s when the naked truth is to be revealed. Now she’s bound to know she’s the worst singer in the world.
Florence Foster Jenkins is the first film credit by TV writer Nicholas Martin, and its pacing and dramatic progression is very characteristic of standard television comedy. For cinema some scenes are cut-off short, others take place without the necessary transitions, and a few others could’ve been more elaborate. And up until half of the second act, dramatic drive is not that strong, so paradoxically enough a feature with an outrageously bizarre protagonist feels too flat.
But during the rest of the film, as the much awaited concert at the Carnegie Hall approaches, the rhythm goes hectic, hysterical emotions start to abound, and farcical comedy definitely takes centre stage as it reaches unexpected high points.
Above all, think of Florence as an actors’ movie. Its commonplace to say Meryl Streep is great in a role because the truth is that she always is. But there are many times when her performance is out-of-this-world. For better and for worse, Florence is not one of those times. Make no mistake: she does a tremendous job, albeit it’s done by the book — a very smart book — with an array of a gifted actress’ tricks and resources. But it’s not like her astounding performance in, say, Death Becomes Her — just to cite an example in the comedy arena.
You have to give equal credit, if not more, to Hugh Grant and Simon Helberg for their sharp performances that bring new shades to characters that could’ve otherwise been too stereotypical or simply not fleshy enough. And Stephen Frears is to be highly praised for having created true chemistry among the trio that does feel real at all times.
Come to think of it, the greatest achievement of Florence Foster Jenkins is that its nature resembles that of its protagonist: with all its missteps, it’s as genuine and occasionally moving as Florence was in her life in love with music.
Now, a final note for those who like having the same story told by different people. French director Xavier Giannoli’s Marguerite (2015), starring Catherine Frot, also took the story of Florence Foster Jenkins and relocated in Paris in the 1920’s. It’s way more of a drama than any sort of comedy, with a stellar performance by Frot. Should you like Frears’ Florence, then watch Giannoli’s version. It’s not a masterpiece, but you won’t be disappointed either.
Production notes
Florence Foster Jenkins (UK, 2016) Directed by Stephen Frears. Written by Nicholas Martin. With Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson, Nina Arianda. Cinematography: Danny Cohen. Editing: Valerio Bonelli. Production design: Alan McDonald. Costume design: Consolata Boyle. Music: Alexandre Desplat. Production companies: Qwerty Films, Pathe, BBC Films. Producers: Michael Kuhn, Tracey Seaward. Running time: 110 minutes.
