Meryl Streep is perfectly awful as socialite Florence Foster Jenkins, perhaps the worst singer in American history. Hugh Grant, as her devoted husband St. Clair Bayfield, and Simon Helberg (Big Bang Theory), as her accompanist, are the supporting players of the year.
Stephen Frears is the director of this simple, comedic film that plays more like a Woody Allen flick than his previous gems (The Queen, Philomena, Dangerous Liasons). Frears balances a touching tale of Florence and the people surrounding her with the absurb humor of her operatic voice. It's a hoot.
Simply put: Florence hits all the right notes.
Award potential: Streep hasn't played a role as solid as this since Julie and Julia; expect her to receive her 20th Oscar nomination for Florence. If Bayfield gets a push and some attention at the end of the year, he could get a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor nod. Streep, Grant and Bayfield will all be contenders for the Golden Globe comedy category awards as well.
The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks.
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