pauhaa

I think describing FFJ as "the worst singer ever" is unimaginative and also missleading. She was after all someone who took the probably enormous trouble to learn arias that would take great skill and technique to master. They are not easy to sing "badly", or to even get through at all. Consequently Meryl Streep's vocal performance here is amazing. But the film shows some lack of imagination as well: how about the mystery of how aware Jenkins really was of the quality of her singing, which could hardly be described on a simple axis from bad to good? Also, wasn't Jenkins herself active in creating her own little bubble of audience and her public persona? Here, St Clair Bayfield is shown as single-handedly managing and protecting her, which creates a dynamic both troubling and simplistic.

Why did I watch this? I can't say I was ever a fan, I never read the books, but I have seen the original film many times. I re-watched it not long ago, and had to admit it had worn out for me, but that's probably my own fault. It's not meant to be seen every holiday season. Still, it has very good timing and it's bittersweet. Bridget Jones' Baby doesn't and isn't. It's dragging and it would make absolutely no sense to anyone not familiar with the first ones. The millennial characters are unfunny and implausible, the writing there is both patronizing and eager to please, like me following my friend's teenage son on Instagram and commenting YOLO. Pussy Riot and cats that look like Hitler... and the next minute jokes about human rights violations... So, I actually watched for the experience of a 40+ pregnant woman, of any glimpses of successfully acted emotions. And for Colin Firth, and possibly Emma Thompson, although I think I'd now like to forget she has screenplay credit in this. But still, what happened? Was everyone an amateur? It was like the characters from earlier films were all doing cameos. Renee Zellweger was playing herself playing her character 12 years later. No, she was standing in for herself in that role. Her voice was often barely audible, like she was really, really tired.