Great movie about a criminally bad singer

Great movie about a criminally bad singer
Great movie about a criminally bad singer
Anonim

The story of Florence Foster Jenkins is the story after which you really have to remember that it is a true story, otherwise the viewers will think that the screenwriters must have just lost their imagination. But no: the music-crazy socialite active in 1930s New York, who filled Carnegie Hall despite the fact that she couldn't sing a single note clearly, really existed. And his story unfolded as directed by Stephen Frears. Or at least – roughly.

In any case, the facts are correct. Florence Foster Jenkins played a decisive role in New York's musical life. He was passionate about music, so he enthusiastically and generously supported many performances that would not have been possible without him, he became friends with the greatest conductors and the director of the opera house. Everyone loved him because everyone needed his money. But - as the film Florence - The Imperfect Voice reveals - not only because of this.

Florence 03
Florence 03

In the first scenes, the contrast between the stone block-like body of the slightly plus-sized lady, as well as her charming, frosted voice and way of thinking is such a strong, surprising humor factor in itself that one almost wipes away tears from laughter. Because the spoiled, beautiful Florence is pitifully funny with her strange whims and manias. And the whole system around her, which was built to keep the painful truth away from her, seems false and disgusting, headed by the husband as "manager", who does not spend the night in his wife's bed, but takes a taxi to his apartment in the other part of the city, waiting for her., of course to his much younger lover. Hugh Grant has the role of his life as St. Clair Bayfield, the aging English actor who is acutely aware that his talent lies more in his looks, dancing skills and accent than his actual acting skills (and if we're going to be really mean, that sounds a little familiar…). When he proves how much he loves Florence, the viewer is horrified, what a snake this persistent man is. However, this seemingly simple situation gains more depth in the course of the story. Florence gets it into her head that she will become an active performer at their private evenings instead of her textless supporting roles, she will sing again. To do this, the husband, St. Clair, hires a young pianist with a slightly flattering manner, Cosme (played brilliantly by Simon Helberg, yes, Howard Wolowitz of Brainiacs). Through her completely uninitiated eyes, the lines of force around Florence emerge for us, the current and past events of her life, the sad story of her marriage, and of course - according to the will of the director and screenwriter - at a certain point in the film, we slowly understand what is happening. We understand St. Clair's truly sincere, devoted, fan love, which is not without insight, despite the fact that it did not prevent Florence, who took her own destiny into her own hands, from renting Carnegie Hall herself after recording a performance.

Meryl Streep is one of the greatest actresses, she naturally plays with the viewer's emotions. It is one thing that he is also technically perfect (first he learned to sing the pieces correctly and then properly incorrectly), but within one scene he is able to sketch out the tragic greatness of the character with a few movements, one look at a time, in addition to the laugh-out-loud jokes. By the time we get to the big show, we love Florence as much as the husband or the young pianist, and she wins our sympathy. We sit there, watching him whistle in his strange head voice in his clothes overstuffed with childish joy, and we are afraid that the dream world around him will shatter.

Florence 02
Florence 02

In the film, the casting and acting management are the strongest, even the supporting characters play accurately and strongly. Unfortunately, towards the end, the director underlines Florence's tragedy with such cheap and simple means that it is unworthy of Streep's performance (but also of Frears' previous films). Now really, why do we need strings and slow motion for dramatic moments? Streep is able to convey the complexity of the character without any unnecessary fluff because, unlike Florence, she is a real, genuine, magical talent. So much so that, fortunately, his performance is not spoiled by self-serving kitsch.

And the film that started with knee-slapping laughter and ended with sobs (at least for me), finally leaves us with the big question that Hugh Grant asks: what is real value? He has come to terms with the fact that he will not become a really great actor, he explains, and by exceeding his ambitions, real life began for him. And really, who is right? To the critic, who rightfully goes home and writes a scathing review of the poor singer, or to the husband, who creates the illusion of a happy, creative, active way of life for the woman he loves, which - precisely because of his care - becomes a reality for the loved one? Who is it worth? To the artist, who creates great things, is talented, but let's say unhappy, or to Florence, who did a lot for others, lived a fulfilled life, and was sincerely admired and loved?

The real story, and of course the movie, can't answer this question either, since Florence's success was suddenly cut short. However, a non-existent continuation of the story would probably be really interesting. Or unhappy. However, since it doesn't have a sequel, be sure to watch the movie. She's not perfect-but then neither is Florence. And not really the viewer either.

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