Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

DubyaHan The movie is wildly uneven but lively and timely - in its own surreal way

DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

ChampDavSlim The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

The Movie Diorama The late Jonathan Demme had a illustrious career of acclaimed titles including 'Silence of the Lambs' and 'Philadelphia'. He was undoubtedly a pioneering director in the early 90s. So it gives me no pleasure in saying that this, his last directorial effort, was his blandest production. A mother chooses to become a rock star and leaves her family behind, however years later her daughter is divorced and so she is called back to confide in her and reconcile with the rest of the family. Basically, it's what I like to call a "Sunday afternoon" film. A bland, generic, predictable drama with some cheesy comedy and a positive vibe where in the end everyone lives happily ever after. It really was as basic as that. A few mature themes are thrown into the cacophony of guitar strums, such as an absentee parent attempting reconciliation with their estranged daughter. Using the medium of music to express emotions. It's all executed fine, and it's perfectly watchable. Yet, it is absolutely nothing new. We've all seen it before in more memorable productions. Streep gives a musically commanding performance, and her character of Ricki is obviously the most developed and relatable. A few awkward dialogue exchanges, particularly the family reunion dinner, provides dark humour. In fact, Cody's screenplay is surprisingly bleak and edgy (whilst being funny, don't worry) however it contrasts with Demme's placid directing style. The two just do not marinate. The first half built up character and focus, then the second half crumbles and decides to shift subplots and focus more on Ricki and her band than with her daughter. Just did not work in my opinion. The music was good though, made me want to get up and dance...so that's a positive. Ricki certainly is flashy, hosting solid performances and engrossing concert music. But the all too predictable plot, inconsistent tone and lack of focus results in a forgettable entry within Demme's filmography. Does anyone think Streep could actually be in a rock band? Totally could see it happen...

tyelder A great plot to the movie and a funny one too. A movie to go watch with the whole family. -TE (8.15.15)

blanche-2 Meryl Streep stars as an aging rocker in "Ricki and the Flash" from 2015. The film also stars Kevin Kline, Audra McDonald, Rick Springfield, and Streep's daughter Mamie Gummer.Ricki Randazzo abandoned her family to pursue her rock 'n' roll dreams. She works as a cashier in a store by day, and by night she and her band The Flash play in a small bar.When her ex-husband Pete (KLein) calls her to say their daughter Julie (Gummer) is having serious problems due to a break-up with her new husband, Ricki returns home.Miraculously, Ricki gets through to Julie and convinces her to bathe, get her hair styled, have a manicure and pedicure, and dress in something decent. Pete's wife Maureen (Broadway superstar Audra McDonald) is out of town but returns early. She and Ricki have a polite showdown where Maureen lets her know that she's been the real mother to the three kids (two boys and Maureen) and that Ricki left them. Ricki angrily returns to the band. Then she receives an invitation to her son's wedding from Maureen as a peace offering.Directed by Jonathan Demme, the script by Diablo Cody is based in part on her mother-in-law Terry Cieri, who has fronted a New Jersey bar band for years. It's not a perfect script by any means. It's predictable, for one thing; for another it's derivative, reminding one of the Greer Garson film "Julia Misbehaves" which has basically the same plot.It's Streep's delightful performance that puts this film on a level where it would not have been otherwise. Kline, Gummer, McDonald, and Springfield round out an excellent cast.I really enjoyed this. It's worth seeing - the music is great, too.

Reno Rangan This is so underrated. I mean it is not a great film, but surely does not deserve bashing. One of the rarest appearance on the screen for Meryl Streep. Totally transformed into a rock star and coming together with her real life daughter was another highlight. Impressive performances by others too. The Music was good with a combination of bit emotions and comedy.It was the story of an aging rock star who failed to reach the heights. She once gave up on her family over the passion of music and now she returns after receiving a call that her daughter is in a trouble. So the tale focus on her struggling life, as well as because of her past she won't get a warm welcome. It's time to fix everything and as the years pass what changes brings is the remaining narration.This is life. People are motivated to chase their dreams no matter whatever stands between them. This was a similar theme where a woman goes after what she wanted to be, but her family comes in between. And you know the success is not for everyone, so in that situation, how a person reacts to all the miscalculations in her life is what this film is about. It was actually a well told story, but the critics did not like it and given some lame excuses. To me it was a decent film, definitely not the worst, so all I'm saying is you should try it if you like music.7/10