Meryl Streep is Ricki, an aging rocker who is estranged from her family after leaving them all behind to chase her dreams of being a rock star in Hollywood. Fast forward many decades later and Ricki’s life has not turned out how she expected and her kids want nothing to do with her. However, finally the time has come for her to possibly make things right with her family. Can she right the wrongs, or is it too late?
Is there anything Meryl Streep can’t do? We believe her when she is a nun in Doubt, Margaret Thatcher in Iron Lady and even a magazine editor in The Devil Wears Prada. So when she turns up as a rocker in Ricki and The Flash, she has us totally buying that she is a rock star!
Streep can not only act, but she can carry a tune and rock a guitar! There are many scenes in the film which are a testament to that. That said, at times when Jonathan Demme, the director, should have called cut. It felt like he was still going, not because the scene added something to the film, but the cameras were still rolling to show us how well Streep can sing and play that guitar!
Streep’s estranged daughter, Julie, is played by her real life daughter Mamie Gummer. The apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Gummer is as mesmerizing as her mother is on screen, and gives her all to her performance (even if she doesn’t always have great lines to deliver).
Given that Diablo Cody (Juno, The United States of Tara) wrote the script, I am surprised the film wasn’t edgier and more enthralling. It isn’t hilarious nor is it overly dramatic. Do we really care what happens to the characters? Eh, a little. So why are we all watching it? Well, that’s easy. It’s because of the Queen of the big screen, and possibly our new Rock Goddess, Meryl Streep!
Hi,
I’m Sarina Bellissimo and this is the place I come to indulge in my love of all things entertainment. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated by all things Hollywood/showbiz. I blame my parents!
As a child my mum used to force me to watch old Elvis Presley films with her, and both my mum & dad would take my brothers and I to the Drive-In to watch the latest films (this is where my love for ROCKY began!). When not watching movies, I was trying to figure out ways to pull the back off the TV so I could somehow get into it and be a part of all the action on the screen!
This blog isn’t a place that revels in gossip and negativity. It’s a place where entertainment is celebrated. That said, this is a place you can turn to for honesty. Honesty and criticism don’t always mean attacks. I choose to criticise the piece of work but not the person and I acknowledge that just because I don’t like something, it doesn’t mean someone else won’t.
Here you’ll find interviews with some of the biggest names in the world of Entertainment, reviews, breaking news and my very own musings.
Away from The Bellissimo Files, you can find me on Spin 1038 on Saturdays, between 1pm and 3pm,presenting Plan B. There’s celebrity interviews, entertainment news, the low down on the must see movies and music releases of the week, the ultimate guide to what’s on where in the city, as well as masterclasses with experts on standby to answer listeners’ questions.
I also appear on TV3’s “Elaine” panel, talk movies on “Ireland AM” and you can sometimes hear me filling in on Moncrieff’s “Movies and Booze “(Newstalk)
The Bellissimo Files is constantly evolving. Files (topics) will be added or deleted as time goes on. Feel free to read, watch, comment, share, and make suggestions for what you would like to see on the site.
Sarina
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