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Hugh Grant as St. Clair Bayfield, left, and Meryl Streep as Florence Foster Jenkins.
Nick Wall/Associated Press
Film Review: Streep shines in 'Florence Foster Jenkins'
▶ CAMERON MCGOUGH @cammcgough
"Florence Foster Jenkins" is a touching love letter to life and music. As the titular character, Meryl Streep is irresistibly intoxicating, bringing to fruition the outlandish, yet believable performance needed to impressively portray the essence of Florence Foster Jenkins.
Possibly even more delightful than Streep's performance is Simon Helberg's take as her accompanist, Cosme McCoon.
His reserved presence manages to impact the film in a very big and comedic way. Hugh Grant's performance as St. Clair Bayfield, the husband of Florence, keeps things grounded and graceful.
It is immediately apparent that music is central to the film. The very first scene consists of a live band followed by an impassioned speech by Florence among her socialite friends where she confesses her love for music. Luckily for the audience, she does not yet reveal *spoiler* her incredibly unpleasant singing voice, and her acute lack of pitch, rhythm, and musicality is not revealed until we see her in her voice lessons. The first shrill squawk from Streep's mouth is absolutely divine.
'Florence Foster Jenkins' is a touching love letter to life and music."
The premise of the film seems far too peculiar to be true, as if a Hollywood screenwriter crafted it, but the film is based on real events, and each character retains the name of the real-life person they portray.
Although Florence is undoubtedly a horrible singer, she is none the wiser. Oddly enough, this bears great similarities to the reality television series "American Idol." Whether all the auditions were real or not, many bad singers had no idea the quality of their voice, having overestimated it tenfold. Luckily for Florence, she doesn't come across her "Simon Cowell" until later in the film.
The film adds a very strong extra layer with the knowledge that Florence suffers from many health issues. St. Clair makes it his mission to keep Florence as happy as possible, and that includes encouraging her singing pursuits. However, these pursuits end up getting in the way of her best interests.
With a mind set on succeeding as a singer, Florence makes a record and
signs up to sing at Carnegie Hall (she's friends with the owner). Despite objections from St. Clair, Florence takes the stage with Cosme. Her singing incited laughter among the audience, though she is oblivious.
A bad review from the New York Post sends Florence into a frenzy, which leads to a health decline and eventual death. Although sad, the film ends in an oddly inspiring and pleasant tone; sing loudly no matter your ability, which can apply to anything in life.
TV stock market: Your guide to what's on this fall
► OMAR SANCHEZ
@OhMySanchez
We disrupt your regularly scheduled binge-watch to remind you: school starts... like, soon.
While we, as indecisive young adults, might want to remain in the summer comatose — digesting hours upon hours of "Bachelor in Paradise," "The Voice" (hey, Miley) and the presidential campaign — it's time to buck up and get entertained like you mean it.
If you're new to the TV stock market, this column serves two purposes: one, to keep you on the right track on what shows you need to watch, and two, giving you insight on why your favorite TV shows are just so good.
This week is a little different. With the semester starting up, lets break down what shows you need to jump on, and lay out a game plan for what's coming in hot in the fall.
"Stranger Things"
Netflix enthusiasts had something to talk about when this show came out mid-July. Why? Because it is the rare sci-fi thriller series that works. It proved capable of not only detailing what happens when the comfort of suburbia is threatened, but also the eternal struggle of parent/
child communication.
Set in the 80s, "Stranger Things" is a story of a town in Indiana where a select group of families are shaken by the disappearance of a boy — the son of Joyce (Winona Ryder).
The cause of the boy's disappearance is the root of the drama: aliens who harness forms of electricity to communicate and tend to attack humans in their most vulnerable state of mind.
There are many other aspects of the show, but what sticks out is that it's perfectly saturated with nostalgia and that nostalgia resonates with any generation. Call it the Twinkie of television.
"Mr. Robot"
For those who have yet to embark on USA Network's adderal high of heart-pounding online hacking sequences and socially awkward hallucinations, now is the time.
Currently in the middle of season two, "Mr. Robot" dares you to question your own sanity. With our troubled, iconoclastic-to-the-core Elliot (Rami Malek) in the middle of another monumental hack as a part of the anarchist F Society group, his own idea of the world around him has become as whimsical and sedated as ever before,
proven by last week's episode set in a twisted version of a 1980's family sitcom.
What makes "Mr. Robot" one of the must-watch shows of the last few years is not the end game, but everything in-between. It is the purest character study of a man searching for righteousness in the 21st century glutton of media and overwhelming control from those in power. A familiar theme for college students to relate to.
In the last year or two, there has been a trend dominating TV series with strong female characters: severely dysfunctional relationships that win us over. Take Amazon Prime's "Catastrophe," Netflix's "Love" and even in a more visceral extent, Starz's "The Girlfriend Experience."
An HBO deep cut is soon to make it on that list, ushering in the return of Sarah Jessica Parker to the small screen and creepy patches
"Divorce" premieres Oct. 9, and the most intriguing thing about the first season is that it will be 10 half-hour episodes. So if you really wanted to, just give it a chance on a lonely Tuesday night. No harm, no foul.
of fur called mustaches.
"Atlanta"
Another talent heading back to television is Donald Glover, better known by his stage name Childish Gambino.
While still a comedy,
FX's "Atlanta" will attempt to genuinely illustrate the trials and tribulations of the Atlanta rap scene, a path Glover had to take in his own life, being raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
The cinematography is compelling, and the subject matter from the teasers and trailers seems relaxed and playful. Glover has already hailed it as "Twin Peaks with rappers," and with a premiere date of Sept. 6, it won't be too long until we find out if it's true.
Finn Wolfhard (left) as Mike Wheeler and Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Netflix's "Stranger Things."
Contributed Photo
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