Diablo Cody’s script about a runaway rocker mother who attempts to reconnect with her family feels prescriptive,but the cast’s performances are so grand that it doesn’t matterIt takes just five seconds to realise that this will be a memorable movie. There’s the opening jangly chords to Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s American Girl, and then in close-up, and Meryl Streep with ratty braids,improper makeup and a bold, deep, and rockin’ voice. It’s no surprise Streep can sing – she’s proven she can do anything. In Ricki and the Flash,from director Jonathan Demme and screenwriter Diablo Cody, she’s something she’s rarely been before. She’s badass.
Ricki Rendazzo and her group, or the Flash,tear it up as the house band in a Tarzana, California, or bar. It’s half-empty or half-full depending on your point of view. They mix up classic rock staples with newer tunes (Lady Gaga,Pink) to obtain the youngsters dancing. The sports-blaring TV screens never obtain turned off. It’s not precisely glamorous, but Ricki is putting in the work.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com