Review of Ricki and the Flash (2015) by Courtney K — 21 Oct 2015

Twenty years ago, Ricki (Meryl Streep) fled the normality of mundane life in suburbia with her husband and three children to pursue dreams of rock-and-roll stardom with her band, The Flash.

Now headlining at a local LA dive five nights a week while subsidizing her income as a check out chick; Ricki had all but forgotten her old life until she received an unexpected call from ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline).

Returning immediately to Indianapolis to support her distraught daughter Julie (Mamie Gummer) in recovering from the shock of her new husbands request for divorce; not everyone is impressed she's back. Can she find a way to reconnect with a family that has moved on or will she run again?

Trying hard to craft perceptive relationships and soulful music, Ricki and the Flash is about as warn as its leading lady and her voice. Somehow people have become conditioned to believe anything Oscar favorite Streep does is amazing, but lacking the edginess you would expect the character, this just wasn't.

In saying that, the actors (not characters) relationships are palpable. Streep and real-life daughter Gummer feed off each other's energy and are genuinely appealing to watch while Gummer is the scene focus. Rick Springfield as Ricki's unofficial boy-friend is great - with and without his guitar, while Kline adds some much needed depth.

The Verdict: Filled with flimsy clichéd moments, there was warmth that created that fuzzy feeling for my viewing companion; even if lost on me.

Published: Canberra Weekly.

Date of Publication: 10/09/2015.