As a classical musician, there is nothing I hate more people ridiculing my art.
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Q: How did you and Meryl find your musical sweet spot?
Meryl Streep stars as Florence Foster Jenkins in a movie of the same name.
But whether it was Mozart’s “Queen of the Night” aria, Delibes’ “Bell Song”, or a simple ballad composed for her by her long-suffering but very accomplished accompanist Cosmé McMoon, the indomitable Jenkins inevitably sang to sold-out houses, and, although most of her concerts were self-sponsored, they brought in large amounts of money from her adoring audiences.
Yet in Florence Foster Jenkins, the incomparable Meryl Streep manages not only the impossible for Meryl Streep-to sing terribly, on purpose-she also lends a deeply human spirit to the woman who, yes, coasted on privilege for years, but also faced down the ultimate challenge for any intrepid soul attempting the extraordinary at the risk of utter failure: Smiling in the faces of her haters. It is the ultimate personification of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, yet with a protagonist that inspires pity as well as admiration from the audience.
An electrifying story of love, perseverance and imagination abounds in this true story.
According to Florence Foster Jenkins’ chirpily inspirational tagline, “Every voice deserves to be heard”. Later, after watching an opera soprano, she mentions to St. Clair that she would like the opportunity to study with a vocal coach again. Grant injects the character with a true adoration for Florence, while simultaneously having a passionate, yet sanctioned by Jenkins, affair with a Kathleen. The part is rotten, flat and pointless, and the acting on the part of Ferguson is laughable at best. You most certainly don’t miss her when she fades out of the plot around the midway point. Unfortunately, the character felt like a composite of characters Streep has previously played, like Margaret Thatcher, Julia Child, etc. The smaller roles, especially the initially stereotypical but eventually inspiring chorus-girl-turned-second-wife of Nina Arianda as Agnes Stark, who stands up for Jenkins during the climax of the piece.
Hugh Grant, whose performance in comedy drama “Florence Foster Jenkins” has been gathering steam as an awards contender, is to be feted at the Zurich Film Festival. It’s nearly impossible to recognize any of the songs she’s singing, and Streep’s delivery sounds like a backing track to one of the “Planet of the Apes” films. (Their suggestion that her poor pitch might have been the result of her long-term syphilis is handled with typical discretion.) And, like her, they share the belief that music should be an act of spiritual connection rather than technical rigor or talent. Unlike everyone around her, she is blissfully unaware of her awful singing voice. Whether she was aware of this fact and of the snickering that accompanied her performances is still a matter of historical debate.
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Sometimes, the worst thing you can do to a movie is try and make it inspirational.
