What I liked: I thought the film did a good job of capturing the feeling of the 1940s. The actors gave great performances as very colorful characters. The core cast really did a fantastic job. I also liked the side characters particularly the annoying blonde. I liked the ambiguous compliments the music teacher delivered and the ridiculous antics that were carried out to prevent Florence from seeing the reviews of her concert. What I didn't: The previews showed a movie about an eccentric woman who loved music enough to perform even though she was not very good and that this enthusiasm inspired those around her to also be brave in their own spheres. I thought eccentricity, love of music, lack of regard for condescending critics, sounds like my kind of thing? It turns out that her willingness to perform stems more from being completely out of touch with reality rather than being unconcerned with how she is perceived. This small difference skewed the movie from a celebration of quirky, potentially good hearted egotistical, philanthropy to a commentary on people so insulated by wealth as to be completely out of touch with the world. This made it less fun and more sad. Florence was oblivious not just about her musical abilities but also about her relationships and position in society. I was left with the distinct impression of a troupe of Yes Men groveling for cash. While a decent drama about an interesting person and event in history, I was disappointed, more by my own expectations than by any failure of the cast or crew.
Who should watch this? It's the kind of movie for a melancholy evening in. Or an airplane ride.
Would I watch it again? It was one of the better selections on a flight but I wouldn't watch it again.
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