Marguerite (2015)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Absolutely amazing

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

This comedy of manners was masterfully done. For a story about a woman who was an atrocious singer but didn't know it and performed publicly, it was delightfully light-handed. Catherine Frot was exceptional as Marguerite. She didn't portray the character as a silly, narcissistic woman as I'd feared but expected. She was portrayed as a passionate, thoughtful, lonely and yet vibrant woman who was just blissfully unaware of her lack of talent. Yes she was a terrible singer and we all laughed when she performed, but it was done with such feeling toward Marguerite that it never felt that I was being asked to laugh at her but rather the situation. I fell in love with all of the characters, even those who used Marguerite and those that tried to swindle her – they were just so well written and full of life. And you can't help but love those who supported and stood by her. The ending was also surprisingly heart-wrenching, but fitting and sadly satisfying.

"Marguerite" (2015 release from France; 128 min.) brings the story, "inspired by true events" we are reminded at the beginning of the film, of socialite Marguerite Dumont. As the movie opens, it is "September, 1920", and we are at a private recital, with a goal of raising funds for the was orphans. When Marguerite, who headlines and generously sponsors the program at the same time, finally comes on, she sings.... completely off-key. Yet people clap and adore her. Why? To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from French quality director Xavier Giannoli who previously brought us other high quality films like "When I Was A Singer" and "In the Beginning". Here he tackles a variation of "the emperor has no clothes" story. It is clear to anyone that Marguerite cannot hold a note, yes she gathers acclaim, be it because people think she is brave enough to do it, and/or because she is delusional, and/or because people want to remain in her good graces. When, in preparation for her first bi-scale public concert, her exasperated music teacher comments to Marguerite's husband "Who will throw the first stone?", that becomes the main point of the movie: will Marguerite be told the stone-cold truth or not? Catherine Frot brings a towering performance as Marguerite, and in fact won the French equivalent of the Best Actress Oscar for this (the movie was nominated for a BUNCH of Cezar Awards, including Best Film and Best Director). My only complaint is that at 2 hr. 10 min. the movie is a bit too long for its own good. I think that trimming 15-20 min. would've made for a tighter movie without losing any of the narrative. The "inspired by true events" line at the beginning in fact refers to New York socialite Florence Foster Jenkins, and coincidence or not, a movie about her, starring none other than Meryl Streep in the title role, is set for a release in US theaters in just a few months (August, I believe). I'll be interested in checking out that one too, to see how it compares with this."Marguerite" opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Saturday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended quite nicely, somewhat to my surprise. Maybe the fact that the Meryl Streep movie is coming out soon (and is already gathering buzz for Streep's supposedly stunning performance) has increased the interest in seeing the French movie version. Regardless, if you like classical music (of which there is a TON in the movie) and are up for a top-notch foreign movie with great performances, you cannot go wrong with this. "Marguerite" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This is the dramatization/adaptation of what is a true story. The film rests mostly on some fantastic performances, mostly the one by Catherine Frot, in the leading role. Marguerite was a wealthy woman who believed she understood music and kept telling herself for the longest time she was a decent singer. People were against telling her because of their own reasons, from a husband who believed in protecting her for his own reasons, to members of her society who took advantage of her resources.The film questions whether she really knew what was going on, or if she wanted to believe it so badly that she convinced herself she could sing. The audience has to pay careful attention to the development of the story and her reactions to the many people who come into her life. There is the critic who writes a pretty ambiguous review in order to say what he wants, without being direct. Later, he appears to change his mind as he gets to know her better.In the background there is loyal servant who has designed a world of lies in order to prevent her more unnecessary suffering; however, we begin to wonder if all of this is really going to help or make things worse. Enter a teacher with a past, the possibility of her going on a stage and face the ultimate audience. "Marguerite" is not exactly a crowd pleaser, and it's most likely to break a few hearts as we get to know the truth behind this woman's actions. There are moments full of inspiration as we see how the power of music can take us into another reality. The film doesn't shy away from showing all the sides. We see a heavenly performance by an upcoming singer, and it is there to show how truly atrocious is Catherine's singing. There are no doubts about that, yet there are questions about how love can distort perspectives, and how good intentions can lead to more terrible results. Is it possible that "Marguerite" is a love story?

From correspondence I've had over the years it seems that there are roughly a dozen people who tend to follow my reviews here and they will know in what high esteem I hold Catherine Frot, not least for her versatility which allows her to move effortlessly from the pathetically ditzy neglected wife in Un Air de famille to the mother from hell in Vipere au poing with virtually any and everything in between. Her first love is the stage - indeed she made her name in the stage version of Un Air of famille, which earned her a Moliere, plus a Cesar when she replicated her role, complete with dog collar, on celluloid - and for three years she has neglected the cinema for the theatre - I myself was lucky enough to see her in the Ingrid Bergman role in Cactus Flower (Fleur de cactus in French) barely a week ago, but now she is back on the screen in what I can only describe as a tour de force; Marguerite is a wealthy socialite in 1920s Paris who has an all consuming love for opera, so much so that she loves nothing better than performing arias for her society friends in salons. The problem, tragedy may not be too strong a word, is that she is totally without vocal talent yet for reasons best known to themselves her friends conspire to keep this knowledge from her and applaud every note and even pen fine reviews. Although the story is fiction - there may be a reason the character is named Marguerite Dumont; the actress Margaret Dumont, was the foil for Grouch Marx in the majority of the Marx Brothers films and was also a wealthy society lady with delusions of grandeur - it is clearly based on the life of Florence Foster Jenkins a wealthy American who also harboured the delusion that she was a world-class diva. Catherine Frot is outstanding and it may well be the finest performance she has given in the cinema, which is, of course, saying something. For some reason it appears that Meryl Streep is shooting very much the same story even as I write and this may well keep the Frot film off American - and possibly even UK - screens which would be unforgivable.