A Night At The Opera..."Florence Foster Jenkins"

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson

Directed by Stephen Frears

The Story:

Florence Foster Jenkins (Streep) is a New York City heiress who has devoted her life, passion and considerable funds in support of the opera in the city. Her dream to someday sing at Carnegie Hall is supported by her husband, St. Clair Bayfield (Grant), and he goes to great lengths to provide her with a gracious audience to perform in front of. The problem, Florence can't sing very well, no matter how many lessons she takes. That, however, is not going to deter her from her dream.

A movie like this doesn't get made if it's not based on a true story, so here you have a tale of the worst opera singer in the history of forever, brought to life by an actress considered to be the greatest American actress of all time.

Meh.

It looked great, and captured the time period of New York so very well.

The only reason I even bothered with this one is because it's always nice to catch up on the latest Hugh Grant movie.

As usual, he doesn't disappoint with his performance of a husband who loves his wife, conditionally, because he has a mistress (Ferguson) to provide him with the needs that Florence withholds.

Add a young pianist (Helberg) to the mix, and eventually Florence makes a record, it becomes a smash hit, and Jenkins finds herself playing in front of Carnegie Hall.

However, the reviews that follow are none too kind, and Florence literally dies of a broken heart within days of the performance.

That the recording  is Carnegie Hall's most requested performance speaks volumes of people's willingness to be tortured, or the realization to never give up on your dream, no matter the odds.

A touching sentiment, but one wrapped in an overly long biopic that dragged a bit too much for my taste, though I'm sure Streep's fan base will delightedly enjoy this one.

Final Grade: C-

Meryl Streep: Guitar Queen! "Ricki and the Flash"

Ricki and the Flash (2015)

Rated

Starring Meryl Streep, Rick Springfield, Kevin Kline, Mamie Gummer, Audra McDonald, Sebastian Stan, Nick Westrate

Directed by Johnathan Demme

The Story:

Ricki (Streep) loves performing with her band, The Flash. So much so, that she left her husband (Kline) and their kids (Gummer, Stan, Westrate) to pursue her passion. When their daughter Julie winds up nearly killing herself, Ricki is invited back home to help deal with the depression. She may have been a terrible mom, but she still loves her kids and might do better with this second chance.

Once Meryl Streep decides she wants to sing, she's going to keep on singing. Apparently Mama Mia scratched an itch for her, and she's going to indulge it.

This dramedy actually has quite a bit going for it, and Streep's singing is actually the least of it.

Watching her reconnect with her kids that clearly don't want her around, then come to accept that she is who she is, which is their mom, and she's doing the best that she can, the only way she knows how is not really rushed as it unfolds.

Kevin Kline, charming as ever, plays the dad perfectly, however the clear winner of the cast here is Audra McDonald who comes in late to the action as "Mom # 2". She's sweet, charming, level-headed, and everything that Ricki was not to the kids. In fact, it was all of her intervention over the years that even allows the kids to have a relationship with their mom at all.

Now, if the struggle with her former family isn't enough, there's also the romantic subplot between her and her lead guitar player (Springfield). He clearly loves her, but she wants to keep things strictly physical.

There's a lot to like here, and I will have to chalk this one up to being pleasantly surprised at how engaging it was, considering how many different minor subplots they try and toss in the air to juggle at the same time.

Final Grade: B-

The World Just Got A Little Less Scary... R.I.P. West Craven 1939-2015

Well, that's just depressing.

The man that helped put the scary, back into scary movies passed away today.

But Wes Craven leaves behind a legacy that is both impressive by the impact he was able to muster in just under 30 films.

It seems like he had worked on a lot more, but Craven put his all into everything he did, usually writing, directing and producing each feature.

Depending on when you started watching scary films will likely center on where you first were introduced to Craven's work.

The 1970s, he began with The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes.

I always saw those video boxes, but never saw the movies. I still don't think I've ever seen them, but they were some cool titles for movies.

Nope, I ran into Craven's work in 1984 when he unleashed arguably his greatest creation into pop culture: Freddy Krueger.

Now, I doubt Craven (or anyone for that matter) expected Freddy to take on the status that he would, but A Nightmare on Elm Street was scary as all get out when it was released, and it still holds up today. It also cemented Robert Englund as a horror movie icon for the ages.

My only complaint was the cheesy special effects shot at the end of the film, but that doesn't mar an otherwise exceptionally scary and slick horror film. Craven mastered the technique of suckering the audience in, and then we realized that the character was dreaming, or they were dreaming they were dreaming. With Craven and Freddy, we couldn't be sure!

He closed out the 80s with a movie that I saw once, and absolutely refused to ever watch again because of how creepy it was: The Serpent and the Rainbow.

:: shudder ::

Then the 90s came, and horror films were dying out, when Craven reinvigorated the genre by playing with all the conventions and tropes of the horror film, and turning them slightly askew with the movie Scream. Much like Freddy before him, now Craven had a new pop culture character with Ghost Face, and a franchise was born.

So successful was the Scream franchise, the Wayans brothers created a franchise of their own with Scary Movie which parodied the Scream (and all other horror films).

But even Wes Craven was able to prove that he wasn't a one trick pony. He directed Music of the Heart which earned Meryl Streep one of her 8 million Academy Award nominations.

Not a bad legacy to leave behind.

RIP Wes Craven.

Thanks for all the nightmares and goosebumps!

This Movie Should Be Dragged "Into The Woods" And Left There

Into The Woods (2014)

Rated PG

Starring Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Daniel Huttlestone, James Corden, Emily Blunt, Christine Baranski, Tracey Ullman, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, Mackenzie Mauzy, and a cast of thousands.

Directed by Rob Marshall

The Story:

What do you get when you combine Cinderella, Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk a wicked witch and an annoying baker and his wife into a musical?

If you guessed an excruciating 2 hours (plus change!) of your life sucked from the earth, congratulations, you've apparently already seen this movie.

Oh. My. Goodness.

I can see that on paper this might sound appealing. 

Apparently, it works on the Broadway stage.

But wow, this was a rambling, overblown mess of a movie that just wouldn't end.

You think it will, but no, it's like they remembered, no, we still have the big finale where all the tales must once again intersect with each other in the  most contrived way possible.

So why did I finish the whole film, you ask?

I'm not sure.

Boredom.

Train wreck style, I wanted to see if it could get any worse.

Well, it never truly got worse, but it never got any better.

It was a visually pleasing movie, and all of the actors were game for their roles.

It was simply too much.

And not even of a good thing, it was simply too much of everything.

I'm guessing that some of this was added for the movie, because I can't see a broadway production pulling off that massive of a storyline every night.

Plus, the one thing about a good musical, or even an average musical, is the songs which the cast should sing.

There isn't a memorable tune or melody to be found in this feature from start to finish.

Except one.

The one sung by Johnny Depp to a little Red Riding Hood.

This was perhaps the most cringe-worthy cinematic experience I've ever endured, watching a 50+ year old man dressed as a wolf, but only vaguely, expressing his desires for a child.

Unintentional I'm sure, but wow, does it just come off with a creepiness factor of about 11.

Final Grade: D

This Week's Dystopian Future Flick: "The Giver"

The Giver (2014)

PG-13

Starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites

Directed by Phillip Noyce

The Story:

In the future, society is naturally perfect. As the latest wave of children graduate to take on their role in society, one boy, Jonas (Thwaites) is selected by the Chief Elder (Streep) to become the "Receiver of the Memories". He learns from The Giver (Bridges) all of the secrets of society that the people no longer remember. As he begins to learn, he begins to realize that all of society is a lie...

The book that has been around forever is now a major motion picture!

And really, it's not that bad.

However, when you finally come along after The Hunger Games, Divergent and a million other "this is the future and society is different now and you are the special chosen one..."

Well, they all begin to blur together after awhile, and it's a lot of been there, done that.

That said, this one is rather interesting in the passing of memories from The Giver to the Receiver.

There are some uncomfortable truths that are offered in here that show how cruel society can become.

How Jonas chooses to handle what he learns and decide what is best for society is what makes the story work.

Plus, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt since the book has been around for over 30 years.

Had this been filmed first, all bets would be off, and those other films would be compared to this one.

:)

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: It was one of the better dystopian future movies of late, but once was enough.

There Is Little "Doubt" That Today's Movie Might Polarize Some Viewers

Heaven help us...

The Story:

The 60s.  Kennedy is dead.  And Catholic Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) apparently has a penchant for boys.  Or at least one boy in particular.  At the school, Sister James (Amy Adams) brings up the peculiar situation to the principal, Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep). She immediately begins to dig to crucify (zing!) Father Flynn, but Sister James has doubts...

Well, if you're going to have a drama, you can do much worse than casting Hoffman or Streep in your film.  You know you're going to get a class act from both.

The problem is, as great as they are, if the material is wanting, then the film falls apart.  Even a great actor can't save a turkey.

Thankfully, this movie is engaging enough to keep you interested, if not riveted, to what is happening.

The scary part, Sister Aloysius seemingly knows from the start that Father Flynn is up to something.  She throws a casual remark out there that Sister James picks up and runs with.  Naturally, when things start happening that seemingly prove the rumors to be true... what do you do?

The staredowns between Streep and Hoffman are the best parts of the movie, as a man accused of...nothing...yet something...this was downright scandalous...in the 60s.  Plus you have a nun taking on a priest in the church...I don't even think that happens today.

Today, when isn't the Catholic Church in the news for something?

The ending is a bit... odd.  And I don't mean how they resolve the dispute, that was actually quite clever in how it was handled.

No, Streep's meltdown at the end was strange, and out of place.

While never admitting any wrong-doing, perhaps all the Father really was doing was comforting a confused boy.  Nothing more nefarious than that.

That could explain her scene, but otherwise, the film ran about a minute too long.

;)

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Once was enough, as with most dramas.

"Hope Springs" Eternal... Or Does It?

How do you put the pep back in your step after 31 years of marriage?

The Story:

A married couple, Kay and Frank (Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones) have been married for 31 years.  Their life is...very routine.  Kay (not Tommy Lee Jones...causing MiB confusion) isn't all that happy though.  So she makes plans to go see a couples therapist (Steve Carrell) in the very distant city of Hope Springs to see if they can recapture the spark, or if the marriage is actually over.


Okay, at some point I need to acknowledge that I am not the biggest fan of Meryl Streep.  She's a good actress, but I would have to say she is easily the most overrated actress in the history of cinema (modern).  Give the roles to someone else, I bet they could do a good job too....

That said, she won me over here with her performance of a wife who is in love with the idea of being in love with her husband.

Conversely, Tommy Lee Jones is perhaps the most underrated actor in the history of cinema (all time) and he simply owns any and all parts he has ever inhabited.  Even movies I haven't fully enjoyed often are salvaged by his appearance... thinking No Country for Old Men or something like that.

Finally, the third actor in essentially a 3 person movie (all other characters are superfluous and irrelevant in the overall scheme of things..) is Steve Carell.  I've yet to figure out where he fits on the actor scale, but let's just say that his dramatic, ie: not zany, turns do not go unnoticed nor unappreciated.

You will believe he is a marriage therapist.

But essentially this is a story about love, and how that can be taken for granted and slowly erode into an auto-pilot functioning if you're not careful.

Seriously, watch the choreography between Kay and Frank just in the morning kitchen scenes at home and imagine that this has been happening for 30 years... you can FEEL it!

3.5 out of 5 stars!