My Review- Falling for Figaro
In Cinemas now
My Rating 6/10
A film written by Polish born Australian Ben Lewin Falling for Figaro is a bit of a tired old plot line that's been done before and much better featuring a young unknown singer dancer actor who yearns for stardom and finds it eventually with the help of the right teacher.
The trouble for me unfortunately I have to say in this light weight but pleasant film is Joanna Lumley . I really admire Dame Joanna , her travel documentaries are sublime and a few of her movies like Finding Your Feet and of course her portrayal of Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous is one of the great comedy roles of last century.
In this film though her performance really irritated me . I have to blame Director Ben Lewin for letting Joanna overact in the first half of the movie appearing more like a nasty aged Patsy than a retired reclusive ex Opera singer.
She drinks too much she is foul mouthed and worse totally insults and degrades her two students Millie Cantwell and Max Thistlewaite . I wondered if this reincarnation of old Patsy was done for humour or drama ?
It didn't work for me as any young singer would be out the door in a flash.
Later in the film she calms down to a more reasonable tone and becomes almost proud but her early appearance in the film builds up a real dislike for her character Meghan Geoffrey - Bishop .
The plot is simple and very predictable Millie Cantwell who is delightfully portrayed by Australian actress and Sydney born Danielle MacDonald decides to become an Opera singer leaving her highly paid investment banker job in London and her long term boyfriend to re locate to The Highlands of Scotland. Her reluctant and nasty singing teacher Meghan Geoffrey -Bishop (Joanna Lumley ) a retired Opera singer takes her on as a pupil after insults and ego deflation at depth . No one including Millie is sure if it's for the high fees she's demanding or if she sees Millie as a challenge.
Meghan's other pupil is Max Thistlewaite a young villager who she treats with even more disdain it's a wonder either pupil gets any confidence from her constant put downs and that's the problem of this story for me .
Max played by Hugh Skinner is Millie's competition in The prestigious Singer of Renown contest in Edinburgh and it soon is obvious that both young singers have formed more of an attraction than just as singing students.
Both Hugh Skinner and Danielle Mac Donald effectively lip synch their arias to the voices of Australian Opera singers Stacey Alleaume and Nathan Lay both of these fine singers have won several prestigious awards .
This is a pleasant enough film with attractive locations in the Scottish Highlands that that include Glencoe, Loch Lomond and theatres in Glasgow . It was financed by Screen Australia, Screen Scotland .
Worth a look pleasant viewing but could have been much better in my opinion.
A film written by Polish born Australian Ben Lewin Falling for Figaro is a bit of a tired old plot line that's been done before and much better featuring a young unknown singer dancer actor who yearns for stardom and finds it eventually with the help of the right teacher.
The trouble for me unfortunately I have to say in this light weight but pleasant film is Joanna Lumley . I really admire Dame Joanna , her travel documentaries are sublime and a few of her movies like Finding Your Feet and of course her portrayal of Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous is one of the great comedy roles of last century.
In this film though her performance really irritated me . I have to blame Director Ben Lewin for letting Joanna overact in the first half of the movie appearing more like a nasty aged Patsy than a retired reclusive ex Opera singer.
She drinks too much she is foul mouthed and worse totally insults and degrades her two students Millie Cantwell and Max Thistlewaite . I wondered if this reincarnation of old Patsy was done for humour or drama ?
It didn't work for me as any young singer would be out the door in a flash.
Later in the film she calms down to a more reasonable tone and becomes almost proud but her early appearance in the film builds up a real dislike for her character Meghan Geoffrey - Bishop .
The plot is simple and very predictable Millie Cantwell who is delightfully portrayed by Australian actress and Sydney born Danielle MacDonald decides to become an Opera singer leaving her highly paid investment banker job in London and her long term boyfriend to re locate to The Highlands of Scotland. Her reluctant and nasty singing teacher Meghan Geoffrey -Bishop (Joanna Lumley ) a retired Opera singer takes her on as a pupil after insults and ego deflation at depth . No one including Millie is sure if it's for the high fees she's demanding or if she sees Millie as a challenge.
Meghan's other pupil is Max Thistlewaite a young villager who she treats with even more disdain it's a wonder either pupil gets any confidence from her constant put downs and that's the problem of this story for me .
Max played by Hugh Skinner is Millie's competition in The prestigious Singer of Renown contest in Edinburgh and it soon is obvious that both young singers have formed more of an attraction than just as singing students.
Both Hugh Skinner and Danielle Mac Donald effectively lip synch their arias to the voices of Australian Opera singers Stacey Alleaume and Nathan Lay both of these fine singers have won several prestigious awards .
This is a pleasant enough film with attractive locations in the Scottish Highlands that that include Glencoe, Loch Lomond and theatres in Glasgow . It was financed by Screen Australia, Screen Scotland .
Worth a look pleasant viewing but could have been much better in my opinion.