Ricki and the Flash (2015)

To tell the truth, when I went to see her I knew what she was going to see and it did not surprise me, it's a family comedy but with two great actors. But with that music that makes you dance in the armchair, who does not finish seeing even knowing that it is bad. It is more even in the end, with the end you have, but you are smiling.The characters are bad, does anyone expect something different? But the truth is Meryl and Kevin are always great. She puts you in the movie and even knowing that as a mother is bad, but you can not help but catch her darling.In this film I do not believe that it is necessary to analyze it technically, it is not made for that, nor is it worth the analysis of anythingJust have fun with the music and let yourself go

With Streep, Kline and Demme on board one would expect very little going wrong. Add a script by Diablo Cody and make sure it does. Streep is Ricki (Linda, actually) an aging rocker who left her hubby Pete and three kids in unexplained circumstances. Ricki pursued her musical dream in LA without much success and is currently holding a day job as checkout cashier and a night one as singer of the titular band.The script wants us to believe she has no money, but I thought she should be a bit less strapped for cash, with two jobs and probably some royalties.... anyway, let's believe Ricki is poor, but still enjoying a decent life with loving band member Greg.One day Pete calls to inform her their daughter Julie is "depressed" because her husband dumped her, so Ricki flies to Indianapolis, where Pete lives with his second wife in rich bourgeois environment, way above Ricki's humble LA lodgings.Ricki's kids are resentful, but it should be noted that kids always blame parents, regardless of their failings. However, Ricki manages to help Julie and patches up her relation with the other two.On the good side, Streep is OK as Ricki, with her flaws and unpleasant sides, but also her frustration. As a mother she could not have "two" dreams and was forced to chose either the family or the music. Streep also sings decently and is quite believable in her standard rocker "uniform"of black leather and unflattering hairdo. Kline is also good in an understated performance. The scenes in LA are more interesting than the ones in Indianapolis.On the less good side, the title is as bland and uninspired as most of the story. Streep's daughter plays Julie and made me wonder why children of famous actors do not try different jobs to spare themselves some embarrassment. For one Michael Douglas, there are the kids of Glenn Close, Kevin Costner, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks etc... who all tried and failed at acting. Streep's daughter is OK, but will never be able to compare to her mother, so hers seems an exercise in futility.Although plenty of music is played in the film, the score fell flat for me, with not a single goose bumps musical moment. One of Ricki's kids is gay for no other reason than adding controversy to an already sticky situation (or to get some PC on board). Leaving the - already mediocre - music angle aside, this is a major blame feast with an illogical ending.

A musician (Meryl Streep) who gave up everything for her dream of rock-and-roll stardom returns home, looking to make things right with her family.This film ended up on my to-see list simply because I wanted to pay tribute to Jonathan Demme. This is not one of his better films, and despite what the DVD cover says, this is not one of Streep's best films, either. Heck, it is not even Diablo Cody's best work. It is middling on all counts, an average plot fleshed out with musical numbers.In more ways than one, this is sort of like Demme's "Rachel Getting Married". So, if you liked that, maybe you will like this. I may have enjoyed this one marginally more simply because it doesn't have Anne Hathaway. But both have damaged characters and a wedding as a central scene.

I am in utter disbelieve that this move got released the way it is – didn't they watch it before they released it?? I imagine they started out with a good screenplay in order to attract that caliber of actors, but it is really shockingly poorly produced and directed and quite seriously insults my intelligence as a viewer. I feel like the scenes are written for a 5th grader smoking pot and, unfortunately, it just gets worse and worse as the movie goes on until it finishes with an ending that was so bad I couldn't even look! I'm just so embarrassed for the truly accomplished and brilliant actors in this film. What a waste of talent.