‘Marguerite’

Extraordinarily, Marguerite is a second film based on the life of Florence Foster Jenkins (see previous posting here), dubbed ‘the worst singer in the world.’

This French version  is ‘inspired’ by true events and takes considerable liberties. A wealthy French comtesse in the 1920s, Marguerite Dumont is certainly a terrible singer surrounded by sycophants and hypocrites. And a misconceived public recital leads to her death. But that’s about it in terms of following the life of the heiress and the plot of the ‘other’ film.

Directed by Xavier Giannoli, Marguerite is placed in the context of the emerging Dadaist art movement, lauded by some, abhorred by the establishment of which she is a part. Her obsession, bordering on madness, is superbly realised by award-winning Catherine Frot, oblivious as she is to the mutterings of her ‘friends’ to her off-key voice.

Marguerite is a celebration of the music beloved by the comtesse. She may murder it, but others around her do not. The film itself outstays its welcome and slips dangerously close to farce towards the end, but its sumptuous telling of the story and superb performances outstrip anything offered up by its ‘competition’.

Rating: 63% 

Director: Xavier Giannoli (Quand j’étais chanteuse, In the Beginning)

Writer: Xavier Giannoli (Quand j’étais chanteuse, In the Beginning), Marcia Romano (By Accident, Standing Tall)

Main cast: Catherine Frot (The Page Turner, Haute Cuisine), André Marcon (Something in the Air, Father of My Children), Michel Fau (Swimming Pool, Requiem For a Killer)