Florence Foster Jenkins reminds us AGAIN why we adore Meryl Streep

Movie Title:   Florence Foster Jenkins

Grade:  B

Rating: PG-13, 110 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This period dramedy spotlights a brilliant and ever talented Meryl Streep, although this film won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.  

I can really relate to Florence, however.  My singing voice is terrible, but I love music.  How wonderful it would be to have something beautiful come out of my mouth when I sing.

Florence Foster Jenkins was an heiress and socialite who desperately wanted to be an opera star, despite her lack of talent.  Those around her sheltered her from the ugly truth, something which is both sweet and irresponsible at the same time.  The dilemma: crush someone’s dreams with a dose of reality or enable their blind delusion by supporting their dream?

Uplifting theme: 

• “Music matters.” – Florence Foster Jenkins
• “Music has been, and is, my life.” – Florence
• Money can buy an awful lot.
• Supportive kindness, friendship, and loyalty.
• Oh, to dream.
• There's more to stardom than talent.  Of course, reality TV has already taught us that.

Things I liked:

• It was fun to watch Florence’s passionate reactions when she listened to music.
• Fans of the Big Bang Theory will get a kick out of Simon Helberg playing pianist Cosme McMoon.  His facial expressions are picture perfect.  His performance exceeds expectations and is sure to secure more spots on the Big Screen.
• Hugh Grant gives a mature and tender performance as Florence’s devoted, yet unfaithful husband, St. Clair Bayfield. I love how he dotes on her, calls her "Bunny", and makes her feel like she is truly loved and treasured.
• Bathtub full of potato salad.  Ha ha
• It’s actually hard to sing badly.  Meryl Streep seems to relish in those moments.  I loved Meryl’s singing at the very end.
• You get to hear the voice of the real Florence during the closing credits, as well as see some pictures of what she looked like.

Things I didn’t like:

• You will hear some truly terrible singing.  It can start to really grate on you and tear you down with weary.
• It’s slow-moving. 
• Such ridiculous excess and self-indulgence.

Interesting lines:

• “The lady is a lesson in fidelity and courage and that’s why we love her.” – Chrisitan McKay (Earl Wilson)
• “Yours is the truest voice I have ever heard.” – St. Clair
• “People may say I couldn’t sing, but no one will say I didn’t sing.” - Florence

Funny lines:

• “The Verdi lunch always begins with a soup.  You know that!  How could we begin the lunch without a soup?  There would be a riot!” - Florence

Tips for parents:   

• Most kids will be insanely bored.
• Some profanity.
• Discussion of infidelity.

Man From U.N.C.L.E. is stylish fun

Movie:   Man from U.N.C.L.E

PG-13, 1 hour 56 minutes

Grade:  B+

In a Nutshell:    This stylish spy film from Guy Ritchie features eye candy for all tastes, and is based on an old espionage cult TV show of the same name.  It’s American CIA agent vs. Russian KGB operative.  It’s sexy and cool and fun.

While the plot isn’t deep, the one-upsmanship gag and evolving friendship between the two spies keeps the whimsy going and the audience happy enough to forgive its faults.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Friendship, loyalty, love, patriotism.

Things I liked:

·         OK, first off…Henry Cavill.  His gorgeous, sculpted face is worth the movie ticket, just so you can stare at him for two hours.  His suits are smart too.  He plays a suave American spy…I mean, a “specialist in complicated acquisitions.”  He couldn’t get any cooler.  His Superman vs. Batman movie hits the big screen next month.  That should be interesting...

·         You’ll remember Armie Hammer who played twins on The Social Network .  (Great movie.)  In this snazzy flick, he’s a Russian spy with some cool tricks up his sleeve and an fist coming out of it.

·         Much of the film takes place in beautiful Italy, Rome in particular.  It’s one of my favorite cities in the world.  Here’s a picture from my trip there a couple of years ago with "the guys" at the Colosseum.

·         Fashion divas will get a kick out of all the retro 60’s dresses, huge dangly earrings, floppy hats, long gloves, and chunky necklaces.

·         Everything was so stylistic from the movie to the sets, cars, street scenes, and split screens.

·         Elizabeth Debicki is such a gorgeous goddess in this film.

Things I didn’t like:

·         Alicia Vikander wears a lot of really fun outfits, but her white sunglasses are just silly.

·         It’s not the action-packed spy thriller that the Jason Bourne franchise is, but it’s still fun.

Funny lines:

·         “When you hear something like a gun shot, drive.” –Napoleon Solo

·         “Loving your work, Cowboy.” – Illya Kuryakin

·         You’re not very good at this subtlety thing, are you?” – Napoleon

·         “For a special agent, you aren’t having a very special day, are you?” – Waverly (Hugh Grant)

·         “Apparently, you put someone named Count Lippi  in the hospital.” – Napoleon

“He had soft bones.” – Illya

Things to look for:

·         I love all the lamp shades in Napoleon’s hotel room in Rome.

·         British actors Henry Cavill and Jared Harris have American accents in the movie, while American Armie Hammer plays a Russian, Swedish actress Alicia Vikander speaks German and European English,  and Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki speaks Italian and British English.

·         The beginning credits give audiences a quick overview of the Cold War through images. 

·         Be sure to read the hilarious ID cards about the spies during the rolling credits at the end.

       Yep, it looks like there will be a sequel.

Tips for Parents:

·         Napoleon is a playa.  You see the silhouette of a mostly naked woman getting out of bed with him.

·         As you can imagine in a spy movie, there is a high body count, lots of fight scenes, explosions, car chases, torture devices, and a man is on fire.
       Some profanity.

Want to learn more about the Man from UNCLE TV series? Check these out:

 


While you're on it, you'll love this:

 

The Rewrite inspires you to create your own life story

Movie:   The Rewrite

Unrated, although I would probably give it a PG-13 rating

1 hour 46 minutes

Grade:    B+

In a Nutshell:   I stumbled upon this romantic comedy on an airplane, flying home from England this week.  It was given a very limited release in US theaters in February 2015, and then was immediately out on DVD only one month later.  Hugh Grant gave a special greeting to Delta passengers on the airline release, explaining “It’s a comedy.  At least, I think so.”

Hugh Grant is an expert at a stammering, dashing, befuddled leading man.  The dialogue is witty, quick, and charming.  The story isn’t completely original, but the message is one worth hearing again.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Like a carousel, keep moving forward.

·         “As long as you’re alive, you can forgive and be forgiven.  Once you’re dead, it gets significantly harder.” – line from Keith’s movie “Paradise Misplaced”

·         “Selfishness must always be forgiven, because there is no cure.” Mansfield Park by Jane Austin

·         Your 3^rd Act hasn’t been written yet.

Things I liked:

·         I adore Allison Janney in anything.  She plays Professor Weldon, an uptight Jane Austin expert who is hilarious and steals all her scenes.  Merchandising for this movie will revolve around her character and this "What Would Jane Do? item.

                                                

·         J.K. Simmons is such a likeable actor, as is his character in the film.

·         When is Oscar winner Marisa Tomei ever going to start aging?

·         There are a lot of funny moments.  My favorite is the faculty cocktail party.

·         I’ve never been to Binghampton, New York, but it’s apparently one of the Top 10 most cloudy/rainy cities and home of the “Speedy Sandwich.”    Want to see what one looks like?
                                      

·         I thought it was sweet when Keith said “My son is the only thing I had a hand in producing that didn’t need a rewrite.”

·         Other movies referenced in this movie areMarty and Dirty Dancing .

Things I didn’t like:

·         I know some people can’t stand Hugh Grant, but I quite fancy him.  Didn’t that sound British?  In real life, he may be a scoundrel, but I like a lot of his movies.

Funny lines:

·         “Nice alliteration.  I’m an English major.” – Chloe (Olivia Luccardi)

“I thought I recognized a fellow sufferer.” – Keith

·         “U.S. Marine Corps.  I like to follow the rules.” – Dr. Hal Lerner

“Writers Guild of America.  I feel the same way.” – Keith

·         “Dr. Lerner?  You must have an opinion on this.” – Keith

“I have a wife and 4 daughters.  I have no opinions.” – Dr. Lerner

·         “When I was young, I thought having the perfect Shakespeare quote for any given situation would be helpful.” – Jim Harper (funnyman Chris Elliott)

“It’s surprisingly unhelpful.” – Keith

“Yeah, it seems to really annoy people.” – Jim

·         “Give teaching a shot.  It gets its hooks in you.  You’ll see.” – Jim

“With all respect, I don’t believe anything worth knowing can be taught in the classroom and I intend to do as little as possible while carrying on this charade.” – Keith

“Yeah, if I gave it any thought, I’d probably feel the same way.” – Jim

·         Professor Weldon scolds Keith for not acting like a professional teacher and Keith assures her “I’ll watch Dead Poets Society to prepare.”   GREAT movie!  I highly recommend it.

·         “What about my car?” – Keith

“It’s a Hyundai.  It’ll be there in the morning.” – Holly

·         “Are you trying to fill a spiritual vacancy with alcohol and young women?” – Holly

“Yes.” – Keith

·         “I’ll work on reality TV…either as a writer or a contestant.” – Keith

·         “I’m hoping there will be something else.  Much more else.” - Keith

Writing tips learned from the movie:

·         As an author, I aspire to be a great writer.  As a realist, I know I have a long way to go before anyone would ever call my work “great.”  There is an interesting conversation between Keith and his agent.  She asks him “You know what J.K. Rowling said?”  He quips “Where did I put my last billion?”  She tries to inspire him by explaining “J.K. Rowling said that failure was the best thing that ever happened to her because it freed her from the inessential; it allowed her to focus on the thing that mattered most – writing.”

·         “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightening and a lightening bug.” – Mark Twain

·         Keith explains to his screen-writing students what a protagonist is by asking “What is his goal and how will he overcome obstacles?”

Tips for Parents:

·         In the airplane version I saw, all mild profanity was bleeped out, as well as a soft blur that was used to cover up someone flipping the bird.
 ·         Keith sleeps with a young girl, but you only see him crawl out of bed.

Great movies about inspiring teachers: