Paris, 1920s. Marguerite Dumont is a wealthy woman who loves music, particularly opera, and adores singing and performing for her loved ones.
She’s not actually a brilliant singer, indeed almost tone deaf – but remains blissfully unaware of this fact as both her friends and her husband have kept the fantasy of her talent. The problems start when she decides to perform for a real audience…
Loosely based on the true story of American socialite and amateur singer Florence Foster Jenkins – about whom Stephen Frears is directing an eponymous biopic, set for release next year – Xavier Giannoli’s (In the Beginning) film screened in competition at this year’s Venice Film Festival and stars Catherine Frot (The Page Turner), who gives a heartfelt performance as the passionate, almost obsessive Marguerite, whose inability to hear herself clearly invites ridicule from her audiences; but who is able to sustain an impressive career bankrolled almost entirely by her own personal wealth.
These elements could easily have been used to create a memorable farce, but Giannoli’s lively, tender focus is more forgiving: questioning instead why Marguerite was so desperate for public exposure and admiration, and inviting his audience to investigate, rather than mock her.