Is there ANYTHING she can’t do? Probably not.
In Meryl Streep’s latest cinematic opus she portrays delusional FLORENCE FOSTER JERKINS, a real life heiress who many consider to have been one of the world’s worst singers.
Set in the mid 1940’s Jenkins was a New York City socialite and opera buff whose greatest dream was to perform at Carnegie Hall—which she eventually did.
The singing voice she heard in her head was beautiful. But to everyone else it was just enough off key to make listening almost unbearable.
In a word: AWFUL.
Yet her husband (Hugh Grant) wisely shielded her from the rotten reviews, while the two lived separate lives , her in an apartment with another woman.
Television spots and trailers for the film would have you believe it to be a wacky comedy—which it is not.
There ARE reasons for Jerkins tragic disposition which I won’t spoil here.
Suffice it to say, this is strictly a movie for grown ups, a dramedy.
Why Paramount chose to release it in August boggles the mind.
In my humble opinion the movie would have a much better chance to succeed in late September or October as Meryl Streep could very well pick up yet another Oscar nomination for it.
A musical farce?
It could have been were it not based on the diva’s TRUE story.
FLORENCE FOSTER JERKINS opens citywide to a grade of B
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings at 7:40 a.m. and 9:40 a.m. during Kansas City’s Morning News on 98.1 FM, KMBZ.
Are you going to get a chance to review “Hell Or High Water”?
Yes, I loved it. It’s my favorite movie of the summer and opens here on the 19th in very ‘limited runs.’
The runs will then be expanded for Labor Day weekend.
I may just go see it again just to get another taste of the great character portrayals.
Cool.