The reviews are in for Meryl Streep's latest movie.
'Florence Foster Jenkins', a comedy drama from Stephen Frears based on the real story of an infamously tone-deaf soprano, arrives in cinemas this week starring Meryl Streep - possibly an unusual choice given that her true vocals are, in fact, incredible - and critics are so far lapping it up.
Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant star in 'Florence Foster Jenkins'
Despite the fact that 'Florence Foster Jenkins' is billed as a comedy, it's not entirely easy to describe the life of the titular opera lover without acknowledging the tragedy of it. This was a woman whose voice was so bad that her loved ones had to do everything within their power to protect her from criticism, and when she eventually discovered that she wasn't, in fact, the vocal prodigy she had always believed, she appeared to die of a broken heart just days later. It's no wonder, then, that the movie has something of a controversial premise, which has predictably divided critics in its execution.
'Execution' is the right word for Den Of Geek, who felt 'there was a slightly mean streak underpinning it' and that 'the film was asking us to laugh at her, not with her'. Interestingly though, the Gloucester Citizen (and many others) thought the total opposite. ''Florence Foster Jenkins' is an unabashedly joyful period piece that stands resolutely behind the eponymous socialite', they said.
Watch the trailer for 'Florence Foster Jenkins' here:
Meanwhile, Flickreel acknowledges that there's a 'deep, profound sense of sadness' throughout the film, but still can't shake the feeling of 'something oddly uplifting' about it. And while The Guardian agrees that it's a 'gentle and charming entertainment', they were left a little unconvinced by the final performance. 'The film does perhaps fudge the gruesomeness of Jenkins's musical incompetence at the very end, making her sing just that bit better', they said, branding it 'a sneaky improvement'.
The actors themselves presented little to criticise: the Citizen said the 'mesmerising' Meryl Streep brought 'tenderness and vulnerability' to the role, while the Sydney Morning Herald praised co-star Hugh Grant as the 'most valuable player of all' with his 'best role in years as Florence's dodgy yet devoted husband St Clair Bayfield'.
'Florence Foster Jenkins' is set to be released on May 6th 2016.
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