Marguerite

MARGUERITE is quite an unusual comedy that depicts a wealthy but lonely (even though married) woman who loves opera, cannot live without it and believes the could sing. People around her lie to her for different reasons and applaud her when she sings even though she sings horribly off-key. The most subtle and nuanced line in the movie is this question: Is it merciful to lie to people and keep them in oblivion? Is our lie for the sake of others, or is it purely self-serving? Great performances from all the leads. Excellent depiction of 20th century's early twenties.

This film is based on a legendary story of a rich woman who loves to sing, but can't. She lives outside Paris in the early 20s. Her immense affection for music leads her to perform in a private club that puts up with her off-tune screeching because of her money. When she decides to go public, a number of sycophants rally around her, while her husband tries desperately to shield her from reality. Although this is billed as a comedy (and it does have humorous elements, esp. when she sings), it's really a gentle drama about a disillusioned woman, played with touching grace by Catherine Frot. The film could lose about 15 minutes and not miss anything, but it's still sweetly told with lovely period style.

An entertaining though slightly overlong comedy-drama loosely based on the life of a would-be opera singer who couldn't hit a right note to save her life. The film's fine performances by its ensemble cast and its meticulous period piece production values make for an amusing, touching visual feast. However, the picture's tendency to get bogged down in the middle drags out the story a bit needlessly, delaying a surprising and heartfelt payoff. Enjoy this one for what it's worth, and you won't be disappointed.

A rather odd little film that’s kinda funny, but ultimately a very off key one note joke that is desperately over long. Inspired by the character of American soprano Florence Foster Jenkins whose singing was screechy and tunelessly awful, the film is most notable for its gorgeous design and costumes. Catherine Frot is fine, but this is not really a film eliciting much interest in the performances as it is just too ponderous. A promising start degrades into boredom and it is only when Marguerite is coached by an unwilling opera star, who is blackmailed to do so, that the film picks up to reach the heights of a decent dullness.