Voice of an Angel: Review of Florence Foster Jenkins

Florence Foster Jenkins

Director: Stephen Frears

By Alex Watson

The voice of this New York-based singer in the 1940's was a thing of rare wonder, for all the wrong reasons. With Florence Foster Jenkins, Stephen Frears has created a picture that a bittersweet portrayal of a lady of true courage in the face of mocking laughter. While it might play things safe, this picture does highlight that even though this woman couldn't hit a note, she refused to lay day down her arms. Meryl Streep again seems a certainty to be included in the awards lists with a brave performance.

New York heiress, Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep) is an active socialite among Manhatten's wealthy elders. She has dreamed of making it big with her singing career managed by actor hubby St Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant). Wishing to performance live again for the first time in years, Florence hires pianist Cosme McMoon (Simon Helberg) to accompany her. Only one thing stands in her way of universal stardom, is an awful singer. McMoon soon realizes he has gotten involved with something unforgettable and potential career-killing.

There is an air of sadness through Florence Foster Jenkins at her delusions of grandeur, being wealthy means she knows the right people and in high society no-one sneers at your lack of talent. Early on, it is well established that St Clair through some well-executed deviousness keeps the haters at bay by allowing papers he is friendly with to review her. The marriage between the two is one of the sweeter elements as the pair remain devoted to each other, St Clair is committed to helping Florence achieve her dream of sold out concert stardom, no matter how much he smiles through the pain. So it is quite a surprise when he nips off to his mistress Kathleen (Rebecca Ferguson) when Florence is set down for the night. This relationship is one that is well explained but creaks throughout under the strain.

Hearing Florence's truly awful voice is what the picture is all about and when it is revealed it really is something to behold. The horror that spreads across Cosme's face when the sound first echoes out is flat out hilarious. Sounding somewhere between a wailing ghost and a screaming monkey, Frears plays this to full effect and the audience comes to realize this woman really has no shred of talent. Keeping the illusion that she is gifted is the main charge of Frears' movie and Cosme's dreams of stardom being a slow rot as he is forced to keep up appearances in the face of his benefactor Florence paying him handsomely. The barely suppressed giggles he badly attempts to hold back after his first encounter with the voice mirror the audience.

Sadly apart from the regular humor that her terrible singing provides, Frears doesn't wish to go any deeper and Florence Foster Jenkins is simply shot after shot of glamorous parties that the wealthy heiress hosts- potato salad being stored in a bathtub is a brilliant idea. St Clair's relationship with her is a wholesome one and is explained very by both parties, but it doesn't hold the picture together like it should. Writer Nicholas Martin appears only interested in the very basics rather than digging deeper into what was a very peculiar common law marriage. The final concert where Florence lives her dream of selling out Carnegie Hall has a sense of dread from the beginning, particularly with a bunch of drunk soldiers attending. Though it is all strangely uplifting and you are tempted to stand and applaud this woman for living a dream most of us would shy away from.

Meryl Streep again proves a revelation as the non-talented Florence. Hearing her straining each note and butchering classics by Mozart among others makes us squirm with discomfort. Streep makes good use of emotion when recounting Jenkin's sad and unfortunate back story and her scenes with Hugh Grant are genuinely moving. The courage that she gives this character are what make scenes fire and even though she has her friends who will never say a bad word, she is still determined for the world to hear her- regardless of how she sounds. Hugh Grant produces what could be his finest work as St Clair Bayfield. Demonstrating a range of emotions many would have thought impossible is his 90's stardom, Grant plays a man who although motivated by the money, is completely attached to help his wife achieve her dreams. Their marriage may be thin on the ground, but the feelings are not.

Florence Foster Jenkins is a movie that might not be the grandstand we hoped, but it is still a textbook example of how never to give up on your dreams. Not matter how poorly you may sound.

Cold War Collision: Review of The Man From U.N.C.L.E

The Man From U.N.C.L.E

Director: Guy Ritchie

By Alex Watson

Although it suffers from a rather bland story line, Guy Ritchie's adaption of The Man From U.N.C.L.E is a stylish affair that succeeds as pure entertainment. The dream partnership of Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer is one that make the picture click. Ritchie is gradually making a career on steadily paced action flicks and his good run continues here. This perhaps isn't quite the must see blockbuster as originally intended but there is enough thrills and witty banter for us to want a second helping.

During the cold war both CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB agent Ilya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) are forced to work together to stop a fascist group. Hatred and rivalry is still simmering from an unforgettable first encounter in East Berlin. Thrown into the mix is Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander), the daughter of a renowned Nazi bomb scientist who is a target for both agencies. Can both men work through their animosity and save the world?

A cool and calculated work from the very get-go, Ritchie opens memorably as we play at cat and mouse game in East Berlin. Through rescuing Gaby, both agents become acquainted when Ilya and his 'barely human' abilities are ably demonstrated as he literally rips the tail off Solo's car. When paired together the result is a fine one as Solo's witty yet insolent humour wonderfully plays off Ilya's embittered intensity. Together the men share the shame goals and underneath all the bickering and one upping there is a fine team underneath.  The dueling of minds, car chases and clever tricks from former thief Napoleon give the picture a slick feel that allows it to glide along.

The villains Alexander and Victoria Vinciguerra (Luca Calvani & Elizabeth Debicki) are a little low on taste and have nothing to do little else than look rich and cunning. Centrally the story is one of the few misfires of an otherwise fine ride because outside the cool imagery, it just feels like a standard ride. The original TV series did pride itself on the characters solving a problem a week. This picture though runs out of fuel after a bright start and the picture instead becomes confused on what exactly the prime focus is? Action sequences become less frequent and the picture suffers from a lack of growth through this.

Aside from these forgivable oversights, The Man From U.N.C.L.E is still a great experience and thanks to a wonderful triumvirate it does succeed. Gaby is perhaps the trump card for both men because she truly fears neither. The budding romance between her and Ilya might not completely convince but it does give a great boost in the side laughs department. There is also wonderful late addition of British agent Waverley (Hugh Grant) who shows up to near upstage boyj men with a dry but well-timed sense of funny. Working both as an offbeat buddy comedy and as an action flick, Solo and Kuryakin are a perfect match for one another.

The principle success of Ritchie's film comes from the excellent pairing of Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. From the start the pair plays off each other magnificently and Cavill's cocky and suave way is matched by Hammer's ferociousness. Refusing to be upstaged, Alicia Vikander holds her own as the tough natured Gaby. Although wanted by both agencies, Gaby firmly makes it clear that she belongs to no one and Vikander gives her a smart edge that helps her stand out. In a brief appearance Hugh Grant also gets a laugh in as Waverley and shows what is perhaps his finest work in sometime.

Guy Ritchie has done a good job developing The Man From U.N.C.L.E and has delivered one of this summers cooler thrillers. It might not be perfect, but it has enough excitement and provides a wonderful threesome to shape a series. Next time it might be a different story... tune in next week to find out!