Florence Foster Jenkins Poster

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)

Biography | Drama 
Rayting:   6.8/10 51.3K votes
Country: UK | France
Language: English | German
Release date: 22 September 2016

The story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.

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User Reviews

huckthing 11 May 2016

The film is based on the true story of the New York socialite Florence Foster Jenkins. In 1944 she hired Carnegie Hall to perform as a soprano soloist. With no musical ability whatsoever but a large inheritance to enable her to indulge her love of performing, Florence Foster Jenkins becomes an unwitting musical clown which sustains the comedy throughout the film. The character is played with gentle comic affection by Meryl Streep.

Hugh Grant is well cast as Florence's doting and enabling husband St Clair Bayfield. It is to Grant's charisma and acting ability that he is able to portray an adulterous scoundrel who is milking his wife's inheritance and turn it into a devoted and loving husband. His brilliant charm offensive is one of the remarkable things about the movie.

Hazel Finn

joe-pearce-1 22 June 2016

Fmovies: I found this, for its subject, a perfect film - an absolute delight from every possible viewpoint - the story and screenplay, the acting of everyone down to the most minor player, the gorgeous A production, the hilarity so well balanced by the bittersweet sadness of the story and life of its protagonist, the obvious love with which the entire project seems to have been imbued, etc. A few anachronisms and time lines are not fully defined: All of the action takes place in 1944, and while we learn that Madame Jenkins has been part of the musical scene in New York City for a long time, one gets the impression that singing is only a recently-acquired mania on her part; in actuality, she'd been doing private concerts for better than a quarter-century. Perhaps in an effort to not confront the age of the main characters in the story, she tells her doctor that she acquired her ruinous syphilitic condition at 18 and has lived with it for almost fifty years, thus indicating she is now in her mid-60s, but she was 76 in 1944. She tells how she met her 'husband' in 1919, but she actually met him in 1909, so that they have been together for 35 years (Mr. Grant's relative youthfulness in comparison to Madame Jenkins's age is never really commented upon, but he certainly would not have been able to carry off the illusion of a 35-year relationship looking like he does). Cosme McMoon did not come upon the Jenkins scene in 1944, but almost 15 years earlier, and had worked with her for years. Arturo Toscanini did not conduct the NBC Symphony for a youthful Lily Pons in 1944 (Pons was then 46) and he certainly did not need a thousand dollars from Jenkins to make that concert a reality; the NBC Symphony/Toscanini broadcasts were totally paid for by NBC and/or any sponsor the programs might pick up. Richard Crooks was not a host of The Voice of Firestone, but its leading tenor for many years, and he did not act as any kind of disc jockey on weekends (we are told that his constant playing of Jenkins's first record on the radio "over the weekend" vastly entertained the listening audience of American servicemen). I point out these straying-from-facts incidents only for the sake of accuracy; they do not impinge in any way on the totally joyful experience that this film constitutes, and the compression of many years of events helps lead more easily into the one great Carnegie Hall concert that is the centerpiece of the film. One expects great acting at all times from Meryl Streep, but Hugh Grant fully equals her in effectiveness, if not in the difficulty of achieving it, in his role as her only somewhat younger 'husband' (the real Bayfield was 69 in 1944). The actual story revolves as much, if not more, around him than it does around Jenkins. It is a beautifully judged and rendered performance, by far his best work in film, and he has been away much too long. The third lead, Simon Helberg as Cosme McMoon, has some of the funniest moments in the film, but by the end, he has eschewed a certain kind of comic shtick to present us with a very real character who, in his own way, loves his employer almost as much as does her 'husband'. Much has been written about Rebecca Ferguson as Bayfield's girlfriend on the side, but the other outstanding performance in this film actually belongs to Nina Arianda as the peroxide blonde wife of a rich businessman, totally uncultured, uncouth, loud and vulgar. You start out by hating her, but by the end of the film, she has proved to be one gutsy and lovable lady - besides which, sh

TheLittleSongbird 6 August 2016

Florence Foster Jenkins, to put it mildly, was a notoriously inept singer, often screeching her way through songs (a prime example being Queen of the Night's "Der Halle Rache") with no ear for intonation, tone, meaning of song/text or rhythm.

It must not have been easy making Foster Jenkins somebody interesting or relatable, but 'Florence Foster Jenkins' manages to do so brilliantly. 'Florence Foster Jenkins' also does a much better job than most biopics to sticking close to the facts, having regard for historical accuracy, not leaving things rose-tinted and not having characters that are basically come and go vignettes.

Admittedly, some characters are more developed and interesting than others and some have little screen time. However, this didn't come over as a huge problem in 'Florence Foster Jenkins' because everything else was so successful. The 40s period detail is evocative, sumptuous and extremely beautiful to look at, and the film is exquisitely photographed and tightly edited.

The music is magnificent, with a score from Alexandre Desplat that fits superbly and sounds great on its own, Desplat's distinctively hypnotic style immediately recognisable. Also striking was how 'Florence Foster Jenkins' combined humour and pathos, it does so perfectly and both elements are brilliantly executed. The comedy is genuinely hilarious and the pathos masterfully moving. The direction does really well in making a potentially dull story dramatically engaging, warm and uplifting, one also admires Foster Jenkins' determination.

Best of all is the acting. Meryl Streep's performance in the title role is a triumph, making her a compellingly real character and succeeds in intentionally singing badly despite that in real life Streep is a far better singer (almost anybody is, well apart from the TV talent show rejects). Hugh Grant's performance here is one of his best, perhaps his best since 'About a Boy' and he has rarely been more nuanced or sympathetic in a role very much removed from his usual romantic-comedy roles. Simon Helberg's supporting turn is spot-on, instead of being annoying or too effeminate Helberg is hilarious, suitably camp and loyal.

Rebecca Ferguson similarly excels, David Haig relishes his deliciously shady and not too pantomimic role and Nina Arianda brings charm to a potentially shallow and irritating character. These roles are difficult to pull off but they are pulled off quite adeptly.

In summary, entirely captivating. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Figgy66-915-598470 12 May 2016

Florence Foster Jenkins fmovies. 12 May 2016 Second Film of Choice at The Plaza Dorchester Tonight - Florence Foster Jenkins. I was very much looking forward to this film, and it did not disappoint. It is the story of Florence, a woman devoted to music and passionate about singing. Unfortunately she cannot sing. Money however seems to buy you what you want and Florence hires the best teacher and along with a pianist (played by Howard from The Big Bang Theory, and quite wonderfully too) strives for her dreams in a very single minded fashion. Streep is the most versatile and accomplished actress of her generation and as we have seen many times before can turn her hand to practically anything. Hugh Grant who usually bumbles his way through a film with his Britishness and buffoonery came across as a tender and caring man who loved his wife deeply, and would do anything to prevent her from being hurt. Along with a simply spiffing score this film was a delight from start to finish, all the more poignant because it was based on a true story.

MOscarbradley 10 May 2016

Surely only those with some knowledge of musical history and consequently at least some love of music, or perhaps a penchant for eccentricity like myself, will ever have heard of Florence Foster Jenkins, reputedly the world's worst singer, so without a ready-made audience why a biopic now, (two, if you count the new French film "Marguerite")? Maybe someone somewhere saw in this tale of a deluded grande dame a star vehicle for a talented actress of a certain age as well as an audience-pleasing combination of comedy and pathos and that's exactly what you get. No real knowledge of the subject is necessary to enjoy Stephen Frears' hugely enjoyable biopic "Florence Foster Jenkins" which combines comedy, pathos and a close to career best performance from Meryl Streep, (who else), to terrific effect and if you think Streep can play anything, in her sleep if necessary, pause a moment. On a technical level she may be the most versatile actress in the world but much too often she's been accused of failing to connect on an emotional level. I've always felt her Margaret Thatcher a great piece of mimicry but hardly worthy of a third Oscar and there are those who will claim that her Florence Foster Jenkins is nothing more than a shameless ploy for that elusive fourth Oscar. I will simply say that if she is to win that fourth Oscar surely it has to be for this great performance. Streep clicks on every level; this a tragic-comic performance of the first water in which Meryl never puts a foot wrong and yes, technically it's a marvel too with Streep doing her own appallingly off-key singing, (no mean feat for an actress with a superb voice). This isn't just the best thing she's done since "Doubt" but one of the best things she's ever done.

Amazingly it isn't all a one-woman show; the big revelation here is Hugh Grant as Jenkins' husband, the man who loves her, you might say exploits her, and does his best to protect her. It's the least Hugh Grant-like performance of his career and he's never been better. Likewise "The Big Bang Theory's" Simon Helberg as Cosme McMoon, Jenkins' accompanist, is outstanding in a difficult role. It's also beautifully written by Nicholas Martin, looks great, (the period detail is spot on), and is very well directed by Frears. As we head into the silly season of superhero blockbusters and the kind of of films designed to keep the kids quiet in the summer months this splendid biography may be the last good movie we will see at our multiplexes for months.

davidgee 11 May 2016

A kind of 'companion piece' to THE KING'S SPEECH. After the monarch who couldn't speak publicly we are invited to meet the soprano who should never have sung to an audience. This is the more-or-less true story of the 1940s New York socialite who seemingly did not know how monumentally awful her singing was. Florence Foster Jenkins was a Woman of Substance in more than one sense: a mega-rich heiress, built like a leaking sandbag and possessed of an immense ego.

It's a gift of a part, and Meryl Streep goes for it at full throttle, combining elements of Ethel Merman, Hyacinth Bucket and Nellie Melba to stupendous effect. The supporting cast are also given juicy roles to wallow in and, boy, do they wallow! Hugh Grant's lightweight shtick works perfectly for Florence's second husband, who openly keeps a mistress but dotes like a puppy-dog on his ailing wife, indulging her musical delusion with a passion that fully matches her own. David Haig plays Florence's vocal coach in the manner of a pantomime horse.

Simon Helberg steals many a scene as her gay accompanist who finds it hard to keep a straight face but comes to be caught up in the typhoon of Florence's enormous self-belief. There are some delicious cameos among the members of the New York elite who support the fantasy with varying degrees of sincerity. The finale, Florence's sell-out concert at Carnegie Hall is a comedic if not exactly a musical triumph.

This is a slight story, crisply scripted, elegantly photographed and stylishly directed (by Stephen Frears). Streep steams through it like an ocean liner – there's more than a hint of Queen Mary the 'former first lady' as well as Queen Mary the excessively luxurious vessel. Yet another Oscar could easily come her way. In Dustin Hoffman's QUARTET I felt slightly cheated that the principals never actually sang. Here you look forward with a kind of awed dread to the moments when the fat lady sings!

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