Back in 2005, the Broadway play "Souvenir" documented the rehearsals for a concert at Carnagie Hall and the relationship between Ms. Jenkins and her piano player. Jenkins sang like a chicken being boiled alive but thought she sounded like an angel. For Tony winning actress Judy Kaye, she believed that her rendition of "Ave Maria" could induce tears, and after 90 minutes of laughing at the denial of the wealthy New York socialite, I was in tears. Somehow in that period of time, I began to love Florence rather than pity her, because indeed inside, she had heart, and truly sang with the passion of a Metropolitan Opera diva.Now it's Meryl Streep's turn, and the New York atmosphere of 1944 is superbly presented. At a time when dancing sailors took over the city in "On the Town", Barbara Stanwyck plotted to kill her husband, Tallulah Bankhead fished with diamonds in the middle of the Atlantic and Judy Garland sang on a trolley, Jenkins brought opera to society in a way it had never been heard. Hughes Grant plays her younger husband (possibly bigamous) who hides from her how awful she is. As a person, Jenkins is needy, affectionate, slightly snooty and becomes sort of a mother figure to her obviously gay piano player Simon Helberg who comes to appreciate her as he spends private time with her.In a sense, Jenkins became a folk hero of sorts, with music patrons deaf to her off key warbling and wounded soldiers influenced by her music. Grant and Helberg are both outstanding, and once again, Streep immerses herself in the part, sort of a singing Julia Child. This shows the real Jenkins at her best and worst, bald as a billiard ball and complaining about syphilis scars she got on the night of her first marriage. If untalented as untalented can be, she at least tried to go for her dreams, and if in denial of her talent at least had the soul to sing from. That in itself makes this movie worth while, coming in an era when dreams die faster than the latest fad and cynicism destroys the will to fully devote to one's goals.

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.

This was truly one of the worst movies I have seen this year. As a singer, listening to Meryl Streep singing off key for over 1.5 hours was just painful. Even worse than Mama Mia! I know terrible singing is part of the story, but as a singer myself, it was almost more than I could take. Couple this with a lame story line and fairly crummy performances by the other actors in the movie...and it just is pretty much a waste of time. Incredibly disappointing. I even went through the pain of setting up this account so I could warn other unsuspecting viewers to NOT watch this movie.

Meryl Streep can play any role. This is evident when you see her turn the story of a delusional heiress into a retelling of a tender romance. Florence Foster Jenkins, because she was so wealthy, could afford to pay people to praise her. Instead, she wanted to earn their adulation by singing great operatic arias. There may be reasons why she could not hear her own voice as clearly as others could. No excuses - she loved the music too much to think that her heart would not make up for any technical failings in the execution of song. The wonder is that the story becomes a love story, not an operatic 'Dumb and Dumber.' Hugh Grant's character, Florence's husband, at first seems to be a duplicitous continental gigolo. The viewer soon learns that this judgment is facile. Because this is a true story, it's impossible to say that the plot makes no sense. Of course it makes sense - in real life, some nonsense makes sense. Florence could have been a vain scatterbrained doyenne, blind to the feelings of the people around her. The scriptwriters make sure that you understand, eventually, that she is not that person. Getting to realize takes a gradual unfolding of the plot that makes you want to protect Mrs. Jenkins. Outwardly, she is a matron dressed with good taste and panache. Inwardly, she is a delicate flower. Meryl Streep shows this nicely.