mila61 regardless the mockery and despise of the people surrounding her, supposing to like her singing, she kept going on with all her heart, her generosity and forgiveness, she really believed what people where saying to her, the ones who used her innocence to gain her trust and took advantage of her, regardless the pain she felt knowing that even her husband turned his back on her, she didn't stopped, she loved singing so much and this was her way of escaping reality and the lack of love she received in return, she wanted to please everybody and didn't spare her health to achieve the unbelievable and against all odds, she went singing on stage, great performance of Catherine Frost,

aharmas 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?

david-rector-85092 'Marguerite' was for me the most anticipated inclusion of the French Film Festival touring Australia as I write this review. In part due to the pithy and alluring plot line given in the booklet for the screenings, and in part as Catherine Frot was freshly known to me since seeing 'Haute Cusine' a couple of years back. I was really impressed with the subtle but powerful presence of Ms Frot on screen. I've become most enamored with the many wonderful actresses from France and this film and performance has already put Catherine Frot into an award winning position; confirming her long and distinguished career. Rather than give away too much of the plot; i'd would prefer to sing the praises of the panoply of elements that make this movie so memorable and commendable. It is beautifully staged and executed, with a faithful commitment to the period and a skillfully cast ensemble of actors to back the leading lady. I was especially impressed with Congolese actor Denis Mpunga who lends such a solid and fascinating literal support as Marguerite's butler. Michel Fau steals every scene he is in as an overly hammy opera singer; and Andre Marcon manages to both represent and challenge the archetype of a philandering husband. While the film does run long; a shade over 2 hours; for the most part it is compelling, intriguing, amusing, sad and thought provoking. How many movies can be described that way? There were moments where I was both laughing and crying; a result of powerful direction by Xavier Giannoli who also co-wrote the film, and of course the impeccable performance from Catherine Frot. There is enormous dignity that the actress conveys as well as a hapless and at times a quiet knowing which is hugely endearing and makes Marguerite neither a victim nor a focus for ridicule. La Frot has such cinematic presence and yet at times there is great stillness to the performance; and of course there is the full bodied musical pieces that anchor the film's structure and themes. There is a majesty to the film cinematically; and despite a couple of plot strands hastily thrown in and not satisfyingly completed, there is a potency and cogency to the script and to the film's overall running time. I feel it will be one of my favorites of 2016.

writers_reign 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.