The Florence Foster Jenkins Story
The Florence Foster Jenkins Story

Movie spotlight

The Florence Foster Jenkins Story

2016
Movie
93 min
German

Florence Foster Jenkins is known as "the worst singer of all times" and yet she is a cult figure whose recordings still outsell many contemporary singers. Opera superstar Joyce DiDonato interprets the flamboyant "queen of dissonance". The involvement of the celebrated virtuoso makes it possible to contrast two different musical perspectives and gives viewers a vivid impression of the film's key conflict between inner delusion and external reality.

Insights

IMDb6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes77%
Metacritic53/100
Google Users81%
Director: Stephen FrearsGenres: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance

Plot Summary

The film chronicles the true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, an American heiress and socialite with a passion for music. Despite her notoriously poor singing ability, she harbored dreams of becoming an opera singer. Her devoted husband, St. Clair Bayfield, shielded her from criticism and arranged for her to perform for a select audience, culminating in a legendary concert at Carnegie Hall.

Critical Reception

Florence Foster Jenkins received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Meryl Streep's performance as the titular character and the film's charming, lighthearted tone. While some found the story a bit simplistic, many appreciated its heartwarming portrayal of passion and perseverance against all odds.

What Reviewers Say

  • Meryl Streep delivers a captivating and nuanced performance as the tone-deaf opera singer.

  • The film is a charming and often hilarious, yet surprisingly poignant, character study.

  • While the plot is straightforward, the emotional core and humor carry the film.

Google audience: Audiences largely enjoyed the film, particularly Meryl Streep's performance, finding it to be a funny, heartwarming, and feel-good movie. Many appreciated the historical aspect and the touching story of dedication.

Awards & Accolades

Meryl Streep received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.

Fun Fact

Meryl Streep, despite playing a notoriously bad singer, actually underwent vocal coaching to learn how to sing badly in tune, a task she described as more difficult than singing well.

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