Sure, it's Meryl Streep's latest Oscar vehicle, but, if (when) she gets nominated, she kind of deserved it this time. However, Hugh Grant outshines her by far and gives the best performance of his career. I also really liked Simon Helberg as Florence's flamboyantly gay (but of course closeted, it being 1944) pianist, who worries that associating with the awful singer will ruin his possible career. Nina Arianda steals the movie every time she appears as the bimbo second wife of one of Jenkins' fans. The film is very funny, even if there is only one joke, but it shines in its beautifully drawn relationships. The marriage at the center of the film is one of the most beautiful in recent movie memory, and the friendship that develops between Helberg and Streep (as well as Helberg and Grant) is also lovely. If the film didn't falter a bit near its end, I would proclaim it great. It's pretty darn close, anyway, and, at least at his point of 2016, it's one of my favorites of the year.
Review of Florence Foster Jenkins
