Florence Foster Jenkins * * * 1/2

Comparisons between this film and Marguerite are inevitable.  But whereas Marguerite uses the true story of Florence as an inspiration, this film is more of a telling of the real story - complete with real names.

But you know what it’s like when someone tells you a story: sometimes their account of what happened is more entertaining than what actually did happen.  
So when it comes to telling the story of a sweet lady who can’t sing but does anyway I found Marguerite a more entertaining experience.

Nevertheless Florence Foster Jenkins is a fine film, though I wish the lead had been given to a more appropriate actress than the ubiquitous Meryl Streep.  That’s not to say she did it badly, it’s just that I'd rather have seen someone on the screen who I could believe to be Florence Foster Jenkins rather than good old Mezza again recycling her Julia Child thing.

Though Hugh Grant does a nice turn as her devoted husband in their sexless marriage. He might have been comfortably kept by her but his defence and protection of her against criticism was gallant and moving.

The poor woman was delightfully eccentric and blithely unaware of her crumby singing voice but she did become a bit of a success if only as a figure of fun.

In this rather sweet film: they suggest there was a lot of good spirit and humour in her audience.

It’s a well told amusing story of a person who otherwise had been forgotten for all the right reasons.