Greenes Please don't spend money on this.

Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

pointyfilippa The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

serenacroteau I laughed until the end! The storyline was very well put together and it was an unexpected ending. I loved the controversy between certain characters who's flaws clashed, making the story move along.

proud_luddite Based on a true story: in 1944, the title character (played by Meryl Streep) is wealthy patroness of the arts in New York. She has a chaste marriage to St Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant) who has a secret relationship on the side but adores Florence to the point of being co-dependent. He and others encourage her to take singing lessons and perform despite the fact that she cannot sing.There is a charm and entertainment value in this movie and how can it not be considering the talent involved. In addition to engaging performances by Streep and Grant (plus Simon Helberg as Florence's pianist accompanist), the movie is well directed by the brilliant and seasoned Stephen Frears ("My Beautiful Launderette", "Dangerous Liaisons", "The Grifters", "The Queen", "Philomena").To take on this true story is quite challenging. As fiction, it would be easily dismissed as unbelievable. Yet again, truth is stranger than fiction here. While the viewer is taken through the events, we are given too little information about St Clair and others for setting Florence up for possible humiliation. She seems spared by her naivete and some occasional sitcom-like attempts to keep the truth from her.It's hard to pin down what exactly is missing in a movie with such potential. Maybe, it needed an approach that is at least as surreal as the story itself. Plus more understanding of some very unusual characters. By the end, it felt like it could only go so far despite the talent involved.

ericventura A story of an aspiring opera singer with a screeching voice so horrible she could kill someone, Florence Foster Jenkins is so well done the story becomes film. It takes an expertise to craft a comedic story with love and hope and satire just as much as it takes expertise to sing as badly as Meryl Streep does. The flamboyant character imbues the screen with flamboyance and extravagance as every aspect of the film takes on those traits. However, the film is quite traditional with nothing that inspires greatness. So while it is an interesting and entertaining film, it isn't anything special.Streep turns in a magnificent performance as Jenkins. While the somewhat corny subject matter seems to provide her with a disadvantaged role, the seasoned actress turns it into an amazingly deep role of complex love, high hopes, and undying friendships. Additionally, Simon Helberg as the somewhat homosexual, awkward, and talented piano instructor delivers both a nice comedic relief and a means for the moral development of the characters.The screenplay demonstrates a high level of skill by describing both the levitating highs and tragic lows of the main character, while still encompassing the great character. To make both comedy and serious drama of the plight in the film is a tough task, but achieved well. There is a hint of satire to complement and round out the movie's edges. Yet the ending is delivered with the basic form of a feel-good movie, diminishing much of the effect built up throughout the film. A delightfully sweet comedy, but it just fails to deliver.

SnoopyStyle It's 1944 New York. Heiress Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep) and her husband St Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant) have generously supported the arts. They hire pianist Cosmé McMoon (Simon Helberg) to accompany Florence in her singing. He is shocked to find that it's bad. It's really bad. It's tone-deaf horrendous. St Clair shows real love for his wife but also has mistress Kathleen (Rebecca Ferguson). He engineers success for Florence's small concerts. Then she presses her own record and decides to play in Carnegie Hall.There are real emotions coming from Streep's performance. Her story is touching. Hugh Grant delivers a loving performance even as he hides his mistress. Florence's bad singing is funny and cute at first but it does wear thin. Eventually, it becomes an awkward watch. Helberg's performance does present a problem. He needs to be the straight man (not his sexual orientation). He should be the lens through which the audience sees Florence. It should be a more straight forward performance with less of the effeminate flourishes. Overall, this movie has some fun and surprisingly lots of heart.