(This review may contain spoilers).
This movie is in a genre I probably wouldn’t have chosen to watch on my own… but having had the opportunity to see the premier, I did like this film more than I thought I would.
I felt this movie was a good mix of comedy and serious moments. It was interesting to see Florence so lively and joyful at the beginning… and to see how she kept her spirit through the course of the movie. While I did feel some sympathy for the character, I also felt that her strength showed through really well… especially considering what a good actress Meryl Streep is. (It was interesting to see her singing so badly, considering the actress is really good at carrying a tune).
I felt Hugh Grant had a lot more emotional depth in this movie, though I was very confused about the relationship between Florence and St. Clair, especially considering that the intimacy between them didn’t seem to be husband and wife… or even lovers. Still, it was obvious that he was devoted to Florence… despite having a relationship with Kathleen behind her back. (I had zero sympathy for Kathleen).
I liked Agnes far more than I thought I would initially. I would have liked to see a bit more of her background expanded upon. It was also very strange to see Simon Helberg in a role other than the Big Bang Theory… but I felt he played Cosme McMoon really well and it was good to see his facial expressions as he realised Florence’s singing wasn’t what he’d been led to believe.
Although there were parts of this movie that were light-hearted, I thought the seriousness was handled really well… and it helped that most of the actors were those who seemed more comfortable in their roles. The ending was particularly moving and although there was a lot of comedy, I didn’t feel that it should be billed as such.
If you’re on the fence about seeing this movie, I would suggest watching it. It’s well-cast and acted and although I wouldn’t want to watch it again any time soon, it was very entertaining to watch the first time.
Ink of Blood 