Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant form an amazing acting couple

Stephen Frears is a genius cinematographer and his latest film, « Florence Foster Jenkins » is again proof of it. Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant give one of their best acting interpretations, one laughs and one cries. It is cinema at its best.

Costumes and hairdo are a major success in the film thanks to Consolata Boyle and Marion Weise

It took me a little time to decide and go to see this tragicomedy, which was out in London in April but only just made it to Paris cinemas in mid July. A very bad time to launch such a fabulous story. Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep) is a wealthy but syphilitic music lover, who goes through life, sponsoring musicians (such as Toscanini) and opera clubs (the Verdi club). She is pathetic but sincere, a truly generous lady who dreams of resuming a career as a singer even though she can’t sing.

What makes this film so special is her relationship to her second husband (the first one died of syphilis) St Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant) who never slept with her, but takes care of her in the most gentle and genuine way. Of course one could say he is just a gigolo, but he is so professional in being so, that it all works out beautifully. The singer with a false tone manages to record three records and fills Carnegie Hall with soldiers who came back from the front in the fall of 1944.

Simon Helberg plays the fabulous pianist Cosmé McMoon

A first film on the subject came out last year in France : « Marguerite » with Catherine Frot who won a Cesar for the part. It was a great topic but a boring film. That is why it took a few bright friends to convince me to see this second version of the same story.

And this time, the combined talents of the three main actors (including acompanist Simon Helberg who plays Cosmé Mc Moon) and the direction by Stephen Frears (Les Liaisons dangereuses, The Queen) made all the difference. The film, which takes place in New York in 1944,  was entirely shot in London and produced by BBC film  and Pathé.

The actors at the premiere in London

Hugh Grant even spends time with his lover on a golf course in Long Island, a sport that the loves in real life and he manages to remain as attractive as ever in a very disgraceful part. Florence Foster Jenkins dies after reading a trashing review in the Post which no one had dared show her. Her generosity and strength for life make her a fabulous character. Her husband’s tender love agains all odds, is completely moving…

Seeing the film in the very comfortable screening room size, MK2 cinema at the Grand Palais was a bonus: when the shutters came up on the windows, the golden statues of Pont Alexandre III were gleaming in the dark and I promised myself to go there more often…