Very few people have ever heard of the wealthy America
n socialite Florence Foster Jenkins who was an amateur operatic soprano known and ridiculed for her dreadful singing voice that was so bad that it actually made her famous in the 1930’s & 1940’s, for all the wrong reasons. Now there is not one, but two movies loosely based on her life, and the first of which, a stunning take on this larger-than-life story by French writer/director Xavier Giannoli, is about to open in the US. This follows its sensational reception in France where the movie picked up 4 of the 11 César Awards it was nominated for.
Marguerite Dumont, the wife of an otherwise impoverished aristocrat Baron Dumont whom she bankrolls with her own considerable fortune, is the patroness of a music society who hold invitation-only recitals in her rather grand chateau. The price that they must pay for receiving her largesse is listening to her caterwauling her way through her favorite operatic arias as she is convinced that the voice that she hears in her head is the same one the audience hear too.
On this particular occasion which is a gala benefit for some war orphans, the Baron manages to stay away yet again when his rather splendid motorcar ‘breaks down’ on his way home, but there are two young men who are so keen on hearing her sing that they actually gatecrash the event. One of them is a journalist and the other a self-styled anarchist who are responsible for the rave review in a Paris newspaper the next day as they have a hidden motive of wanting the Baroness to be their benefactress too. Now they invite Marguerite to perform in public concert which she is totally flattered by, but which horrifies her husband who like her usual syncopatic audience, has never ever dared to tell her the truth about her voice.
The concert is a disaster but rather than it disillusion Marguerite it propels her to mount her own Concert in a rather grand opera house. Madelbois her faithful and loyal butler/chauffeur who has been shielding his mistress for years from the real reviews and also flooding the house with flowers from ‘admirers’, attempts to save the event from being a total disaster by blackmailing a once-famous singer to be her coach.
Throughout it all Marguerite is full of light and love with an excess of bonhomie to literally everyone, and just sails through it all propelled by her love for music that she feels compelled to sing even though it is way beyond her ability or talent. This is also the tale of her love story with her husband who neglects her for his younger mistress for the most part but actually comes around in the end. Plus it is the story of the adoration of Madelbois who is determined that Marguerite will always be able to follow her dream at whatever cost.
It’s a joyous and totally enchanting movie right from the opening scenes until the final credits and it is easy to see why every element of the production was singled out for awards. It is however the central performance of veteran actress Catherine Frot who imbues the role of Marguerite with such sheer joy and her wonderful energy, that you just never stop willing her to succeed. It is so easy why she picked up yet another César Best Actress Award for this.
The Hollywood version called Florence Foster Jenkins stars the formidable Meryl Streep and the first preview just released was careful not to show the great lady singing. It is directed by Oscar nominated Stephen Frears which doesn’t necessary guarantee the movie’s success as asides from Philomena, the last few Frear films have been very disappointing.
Whether Ms Jenkins’s legacy is safer in Ms Streep’s hands is actually not that relevant anyway, as simply in its own right Marguerite is such an unadulterated delight that it simply should not be missed.
Labels: 2016, award winning, drama, French
