She loved music, especially opera, but it was not reciprocated. She had no hearing and it was best not to mention her voice. However, she had good intentions and many ambitions. And money, which was enough to pay the teachers, the critics and the applauders, who allowed him to go to Carnegie Hall. It was after this performance that a review titled “The Worst Singer in the World” appeared in the New York Post, and it was a time when reviews meant as much as a verdict against an artist. Florence Foster Jenkins, who has finally learned the brutal truth, has only one important question to ask those closest to her: was everyone making fun of me? Probably not everyone, some even liked her performances, but it was a blow from which she never recovered. Despite the passage of time (she died in 1944), she is still famous, even if it was not the fame she wanted. She became the heroine of a popular play and is now remembered by cinema. “Divine” in Peter Quilter’s play at the Polonia Theater was played by Krystyna Janda and it was one of the greatest roles of this actress. Stephen Frears’ film Florence stars Meryl Streep, and it would be hard to find a better performer. Only an artist with great talent can forge so brilliantly. But is it still appropriate to praise three-time Oscar winner Streep? Maybe there will be a fourth?

Divine Florence, dir. Stephen Frears, producer US/UK, 110 min

Original title of the text: “The worst singer in the world”