by Frank Calvillo
The first time I can ever remember being impressed with Meryl Streep as a singer was in the 1990 comedy Postcards From the Edge in which Streep played a neurotic actress fresh out of rehab who was trying to climb her way back to some semblance of her former glory. It was naturally a tremendous effort from Streep which was greatly accentuated by the film’s closing scene in which the actress sang a western tune called “I’m Checking Out” (a Shel Silverstein-penned song about leaving the past behind and starting fresh), unleashing a set of pipes which would have rivaled Loretta Lynn in terms of sheer power and force. While I can certainly imagine it wasn’t the easiest of tasks for an actress to sound as good as some of the best singers, I can only imagine how difficult it must’ve been to sound as bad as one of the worst as she does in Florence Foster Jenkins.
Based on a true story, Streep plays the title character, a 1940s New York socialite named Florence Foster Jenkins, who enjoys a long-time marriage to St. Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant), a former actor who dotes on his loving, if slightly eccentric wife. When Florence develops the urge to sing in public, St. Clair indulges her by hiring a pianist Cosme McMoon (Simon Helberg) to accompany her and booking the best venues in the city. The only catch is that unbeknownst to Florence, she is actually one of the worst singers in existence.
A film with a premise such as Florence Foster Jenkins is bound to lend itself to great comedic moments, which are never in short supply. The most brilliant of these occurs early on during Cosme’s first rehearsal session with Florence, St. Clair and a vocal coach. As Cosme hears that voice for the first time while he plays the piano, he is quietly taken aback. The young pianist begins to question his sanity as he sees St. Clair in a chair smiling, the vocal coach instructing and Florence herself belting her heart out, missing every single one of the song’s note. When the song has concluded and vocal coach says to Florence: “You’ve never sounded better,” the audience is on the verge of hysteria as Comse looks on in complete disbelief. It’s that same disbelief that accompanies Florence’s early performances, which includes audience members sporting faces of shock and awe, with many feeling that they are the subject of a practical joke.
In spite of the laughs and the terrible singing, there are a number of great moments where characters are really explored. A scene in which Florence visits Cosme’s humble apartment where she reveals her lost dreams and another between her and St. Clair that sees the main character describing what singing means to her are so true in their beauty and honesty. It’s difficult to watch a character such as Florence and not be touched by such a presence so full of joy and life, in spite of the hardships life has thrown at her. “People may say I couldn’t sing,” she says at one point. “But no one can say I DIDN’T sing.” In that one line, the essence of this woman is summed up, along with the gusto and reckless abandon with which she approached life.
At this point, there’s very little for Streep left to do on film but perform badly, which she does so magnificently here. The way she plays Florence during the singing scenes are made hilarious thanks to the actress’s comedic abilities, but also come off as endearing by the way Streep channels her character’s committed devotion to the music. Meanwhile, scenes involving Florence’s past and lost dreams are filled with the kind of loveliness one would expect Streep to deliver, never once disappointing. As for her costars, Helberg is great even if he doesn’t always know when to turn off his character’s quirks. The real surprise is Grant, who is given his strongest role since 2002’s About a Boy, showing his unwavering love and commitment to Florence, at times almost drawing tears, particularly when he lovingly whispers to Florence: “Yours was the truest voice I ever heard.”
Directed by Stephen Frears, Florence Foster Jenkins does bear its director’s stamp in that unique balancing between comedy and drama which no one has ever been able to copy. Like some of his more recent work, such as Cheri starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Lay the Favorite starring Bruce Willis, the pace tends to be a bit frantic throughout most of the first half of Florence Foster Jenkins. However, once Frears lets his film catch its breath, he reveals a truly sensitive and humorous character study of one of history’s most fascinating, unconventional and inspiring figures of the 20th century.
