A complicated and compelling tale
Marguerite (M) 129 mins
Oh, Marguerite. Poor, sweet, tonedeaf Marguerite.
She’s mad for music and has all the heart and passion required of any great opera singer, but there’s just one problem – she really can’t sing.
If that storyline sounds familiar, it’s likely because Marguerite is based on the life of American socialite and wannabe opera diva Florence Foster Jenkins, recently portrayed by Meryl Streep in a biopic of the same name.
But don’t dismiss this French production as just another telling of the same old tale – director Xavier Giannoli takes Jenkins’ story in a new direction, creating an arguably more thoughtful and rich story than its Hollywood counterpart.
Set in France in 1920, it begins with Marguerite (Catherine Frot), a wealthy baroness, about to give a private recital. There’s a great deal of build-up to her big performance – and then we hear her sing. Terribly.
Thanks to an elaborate conspiracy to protect her from criticism, Marguerite has no idea just how bad she is. And after a positive review of her recital, she decides to pursue her musical dream by planning a grand public performance.
While there are certainly laughs along the way, in the talented hands of Frot (who won a welldeserved Cesar Award for this performance), this deluded songstress becomes a sympathetic character rather than an easy mark for mockery.
We want her to achieve her dreams, yet we know that doing so will ultimately devastate her when she discovers the truth.
It’s a complicated, heartbreaking and compelling tale that, unlike its lead, hits all the right notes.