Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)

[Inquisitionist]

No FFJ thread yet?  I'm hoping to see this film in the next few weeks.  It would be the first thing to get me into a movie theater this year. 

I remember Hugh Grant presenting an award to Meryl Streep at some program (maybe Golden Globes) years ago and how awestruck he looked meeting her.  Since then I've hoped he would have a chance to work with her.  From the clips I've seen, this seems to be a nuanced role for him and one that probably stretched him as an actor.  The two of them seemed to be having a ball on Graham Norton's show a few months ago.

Edited August 19, 2016 by Athena
Removed video site reference

[methodwriter85]

It was a fun little romp.

I like to think that once Florence did what she wanted to do, she was finally able to let go after what must have been a life of constant pain.

One touch I really loved is how Flo very much seemed stuck in 1919-1921, instead of looking like a woman in the 1940's. Her opening costume made me think of Norma Desmond's outfit at the end of Sunset Boulevard.

[lookeyloo]

Enjoyed this movie.  There is a documentary on YouTube of the real FFJ and interviews with people who knew her.  Saw Hugh on an interview show where he says he usually plays the same role and no stretch but this was a stretch.  I thought he was very good.

[GreekGeek]

I loved this movie too. Streep was both hilarious and poignant--I did not know that Flo-Jen (as I like to think of her) was suffering from venereal disease most of her adult life. It would have been easy to make her simply into a silly woman with a huge blind (or deaf) spot about her singing, but the movie makes it clear that she was haunted by death for decades. I did not think her passing was letting go after achieving her dream; the movie showed it as brought about by Earl Wilson's bad review. The amazing thing was that no one told her the truth earlier; even Toscanini played along.

Grant was good, but Simon Helberg deserves commendation also. I wondered where I had seen him before, then I remembered Howard from The Big Bang Theory. 

Edited August 21, 2016 by GreekGeek

[Rinaldo]

On August 20, 2016 at 7:00 PM, GreekGeek said:

I did not think her passing was letting go after achieving her dream; the movie showed it as brought about by Earl Wilson's bad review.

I'd say that the latter is definitely a matter of interpretation, and not something the movie stated. Though I saw her as in a sense "letting go" after her big event, I didn't assume that she died that day (as indeed she didn't in real life, not that that need concern us). All the movie said was that her death occurred that same year.

I agree that Simon Helberg did very well, as actor and pianist. Also worthy of a special mention is Nina Arianda in the small but crucial role of Agnes (who laughs uncontrollably at the first concert, but silences the laughers at the second one). This vibrant Tony-winning actress has become the "major talent you hire to lend impact to a small part" -- just as Streep was in her first movie (Julia). 

[annzeepark914]

On 8/20/2016 at 10:51 AM, lookeyloo said:

Enjoyed this movie.  There is a documentary on YouTube of the real FFJ and interviews with people who knew her.  Saw Hugh on an interview show where he says he usually plays the same role and no stretch but this was a stretch.  I thought he was very good.

This is why I was concerned when I first saw that HG was in the movie--but I've seen clips and he looks different...not his usual bumbling, inebriated fool role. Can't wait to see this.  

[purplemouth]

I loved this movie! Of course Meryl was great, but Hugh Grant! Such a great performance. Simon Helberg was really good too. The first time Cosme hears Florence sing, I laughed until I cried.

[Inquisitionist]

Saw it about 10 days ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  As others have noted, all three principal actors (Streep, Grant, Helberg) are very good and affecting, but so are many actors in smaller roles.  (A bit of trivia:  the actor playing FFJ's vocal coach, David Haig, has been in at least two other movies with Hugh Grant.  He played Bernard, the groom at the 2nd wedding in FWaaF and he played the brother of Hugh's character in Two Weeks Notice. He was a minor hoot in FFJ.)  I thought the film's tempo meandered a bit at times, but the balance between humor and affection was quite lovely.  I'll watch again on the small screen, I'm sure.

 

Quote

not his usual bumbling, inebriated fool role

I haven't seen all of Grant's roles, but in none of those that I have seen (FWaaF, Notting Hill, Two Weeks Notice, Music and Lyrics, The Rewrite, Nine Months, About a Boy, American Dreamz, Bridget Jones, and a few others) has his character seemed inebriated.

[wlk68]

The movie started off as funny but overall it made me sad. I felt such sympathy Florence. Despite being dealt a shitty hand, she was very sweet and generous. She obviously loved life and music was her passion. And she wanted to share that passion with the world. That all those people went to such extraordinary lengths to protect her made me teary eyed. I really kind of hated that reporter from the Post for being such a dick.  

Is ignorance truly bliss? Would Florence have been better off if someone had actually told her the truth way back at the beginning? Or were they afraid of losing access to her money? I think she still would've been a generous benefactor.

Edited September 13, 2016 by wlk68

[methodwriter85]

What I thought was poignant was learning that Flo had actually been a talented pianist, but her illness took away her ability to play.

I honestly thought she had cancer when they showed her baldness, so learning that she was dealing with mercury poisoning as a result of her syphilis was interesting.

[Browncoat]

I finally got to see this tonight, and I loved it.  As stated above the three principals were wonderful -- Simon was so understated, even when he could barely contain his laughter in the elevator.  I think he is the best of the bunch on Big Bang, and is unfortunately overlooked and underrated there.  Was that him actually playing the piano?  And was Meryl actually singing (especially in the dream sequence near the end)?

[Athena]

13 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Was that him actually playing the piano? 

Yes. While promoting the movie, he told stories about how he played piano most of his life and when he first came to Hollywood would play in club bands for a little bit to make money.

[Browncoat]

Thanks!  He did a great job playing, too.

[jah1986]

I just caught this over the weekend and really enjoyed it. I thought everyone did a good job but especially the three principles.  I thought it was touching that although everyone knew she was a terrible singer and some did laugh, none of those close to her laughed in her face. So the finale in Carnegie Hall was really moving seeing the fear and shock on Florence's face when the soldiers start to laugh and jeer and then watch those that never laughed in her face rally the audience to applause and a form of respect was just great. I've never seen the Big Bang Theory so had no previous idea about Helberg's abilities but really enjoyed his performance.

[dcalley]

On 10/19/2016 at 9:30 PM, Browncoat said:

And was Meryl actually singing (especially in the dream sequence near the end)?

She did sing it all, the bad and the good. The good singing is track 2 on the soundtrack, and you can hear a bit on the amazon page.

Video footage of FFJ recently came to light. It's silent, but the clip below has added her (non-matching) singing on top of it, so beware: