OH………. GO ON THEN!
I’m so sorry but I just couldn’t resist!
Our Streepy has a new movie out!
And whilst Streep Race officially finished way back in January… WHY NOT HEY!
Before we delve into this little “Race epilogue special”, what’s been happening in Streep-land since we left off nearly 8 months ago? (Blimey this year’s gone by quick)
CATCH UP TIME:
Well, first off, contrary to my doubting predictions, Meryl WAS nominated for an Oscar for her role in Into The Woods (a surprise really since on 2nd viewing the film might not be the modern classic I may have first thought it to be. Hey, we’ll take it!)
Secondly, for the majority of 2015 she has been filming bio-comedy “Florence”about the worst opera singer in the world with Hugh Grant no less.
But first things first, a new movie and a hell of a lot of reunions:
- Director Jonathan Demme who directed Streepy in Manchurian Candidate.
- Kevin Kline, now her third film to star in with (previously Sophie’s Choice and Prairie Home Companion)
- And finally, we have Meryl’s own real life daughter Mamie Gummer playing her daughter (for the 2nd time, the first being when she was just 18 months old in Heartburn!).
So. As a wee epilogue special to our Streep Race can we safely say Streepy is still on form?
The Film:
Ricki Fendazzo (Streep) a woman in her sixties, is by day working as a checkout girl in a supermarket but by night is the lead singer of a covers band Ricki and the Flash which plays in a local bar in a suburb of L.A. Her ex husband phones to say that their daughter is going through a divorce and is in the midst of a huge meltdown and that she needs her mother. Ricki then has to go back to her family home where she is not by any means greeted with open arms for having left her family to chase her dream…
I was surprised by this film a lot. It’s a very sweet, fun, family drama. Written by Diablo Cody of Juno fame, the reviews have mainly criticised the film’s predictable and lacklustre plot and it’s true the film doesn’t delve into any particularly DARK territory. However, taken as it is, the film has a lot going for it. The relationship between Meryl and Mamie is suitably believable as the chemistry is, let’s face it, already there (it’s crazy how much of a doppelgänger they are of each other). And whilst the film does dip in pace towards the middle, it has a very touching yet rousing finale and hey, can you remember the last film you saw that shows a female rocker in her sixties, ripping apart a stage and wearing kinky leather boots?
Speaking of which:
What about Meryl??
So, going in I don’t know why I was expecting a Default Meryl Performance but I am very pleased to say the Streep is back!
It’s weird that having seen all her films, you see a picture of her new character in the press and I can kind of guess what sort of a performance it will be but having done lots of outrageous comedy, even with the goofy look she has in this film, and with it being obvious she is relishing this character, she is still very believable and as Mark Kermode says “at the top of her game”.
Hats off to Diablo Cody for writing such an interesting character. Ricki is chaotic, a hot mess and a spectacularly free-spirited (if George W Bush voting) bundle of rock’n’roll and far from playing her in a mad chewing the scenery type fashion, Streepy has got a very tight grip on maintaining subtlety and nuance within this larger than life woman. Of course we can always count on Meryl and her make-up man to have had an in-depth meeting on her character’s look and this is pretty out there with her “stuck in the 80s” vibe avec the goofy braids and thick thick eye liner.
Let’s not forget also, Meryl actually learnt electric guitar for 6 weeks to play the part. There are no impressive guitar playing solos (those are all left to Rick Springfield) but of course we know Streep can belt out a number, our last film being classy Sondheim and here we see her belt out lots in fine gritty rocky form. Director Demme insisted all music be recorded live and not over dubbed or lip synced and all the numbers feel authentic and real which in turn makes the onstage chemistry between Ricki and her band all the more enjoyable.
Diablo Cody was also a producer on the film and being on set every day saw Meryl do her thang:
“What a privilege to watch Meryl work. She’s at a place in her career where she doesn’;t have to give it 110% for every role, and yet I saw it, her hunger and curiosity, there was no fatigue there. She has the drive of a 25 year old actress.”
apparently it was Meryl herself who suggested her daughter play… her daughter, and it is a wise decision. I was surprised (slight spoiler alert) that the plot didn’t allow for more tempestous drama between these two as Mamie’s opening scene railing and yelling at Meryl creates a whole lotta potential for a whole lotta drama. But it is still interesting to see a real mother-daughter relationship on-screen and of course Mamie holds her own against Streepy’s high energy
It shows how much weight Ms M has that this film was made to begin with. Cody wrote the script “on spec” with no attachment or commission behind it. Meryl got to read it and said she would do it and from the sounds of it, brought in the director and the studio to make it.
So yeah, maybe not up there with the greats, but as a feminista rock flick it does have it’s merits and Streepy shows no signs of slacking in her work.
We won’t have to wait much longer for her next offering “Suffragette” in October where she dons the hat of Emmeline Pankhurst. It does seem however, having a wee glance at her IMDB page that after Florence, there are no upcoming projects in the pipeline. After something like 6 films in 2 years I think we can give Streepy a break hey 😉
Streep Race!! 