Nominated For: Best Actress; Meryl Streep and Best Costume Design.
On occasion, there are fascinating stories buried within history about real life individuals and the events depicted in Florence Foster Jenkins certainly qualified as interesting. Florence Foster Jenkins is a bio-pic (biographical picture) depicting the real life Florence Foster Jenkins and the events surrounding her 1944 performance in Carnegie Hall which managed to sell out in only two hours, an astounding feat considering Jenkins couldn't sing worth a lick.
Director Stephen Frears and screenwriter Nicholas Martin find the tricky balance of ridicule and acceptance in Jenkins' shrill rancid voice by wielding it in moments of levity and commiseration. Martin utilizes it to it's full capacity to impart messages of acceptance, support, and the importance of music.
Meryl Streep champions these themes through her excellent portrayal of the pompous and inspired Jenkins. Streep can obviously sing, as evidenced in Mamma Mia! and Into The Woods, but manages to throw that all out the window with many shrill ballads. Streep does this well by not forcibly extracting a tone-deaf voice for comedic effect but playing the role as specified, merely a woman lacking musical talents.
Hugh Grant is granted the more complex character though (Pun intended). Grant's depiction of St. Clair Bayfield is conflicted, as it should be considering he has rivaling affections for his wife Jenkins and mistress Kathleen, and this conflict is the driving force of the narrative allowing for interesting drama behind the scenes.
The Big Bang Theory's Simon Helberg brings a dorkishly delightful persona to Jenkins' uneasy accompanist Cosme McMoon. Helberg accounts for most of the comedic bits through his unsettling demeanor as he hears Jenkins sing for the first time. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation's Rebecca Ferguson plays Kathleen in a supporting capacity and her screen time is limited, but vital.
Florence Foster Jenkins is a sweet feel-good movie that probably won't garner much Oscar buzz but will at least bring a smile to your face as you witness the fierce devotion these characters have for music and in some cases one other.
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