MartinHafer I have the utmost respect for Meryl Streep as an actress. She is amazing and has deserved all the acclaim for her roles in a wide variety of exceptional movies. That being said, a few years ago she made "Mama Mia"...which proved that despite her prodigious talents, Ms. Streep cannot do everything...especially when it came to singing. Perhaps this is why she later made "Ricki and the Flash"...to prove she really COULD sing. And, while she was passable, it just convinced me that once again Meryl should NOT be singing in her films. Inexplicably...Streep just finished another musical..."Mama Mia! Here We Go Again". Please, please stop already!!The story begins with a long song delivered by Meryl in a honkeytonk....and there was much more of this to come. If they'd just stopped with that one song, it might have been okay. They didn't. You learn that Meryl left her family to pursue her musical career. Her husband (Kevin Kline) has since remarried and they've both lived totally separate lives since. However, their daughter (played by Streep's real life daughter) is having emotional problems and he has invited her to come back to see their daughter, and, perhaps, to help. What comes after that is pretty cliched, though the film DOES have some excellent moments and might even elicit a few tears. My problem is the shameless way the film had Ricki (Streep) come and perform at her son's wedding and, apparently, that just made everything great and the film ends. Thank heaven for the magical power of Meryl's singing....not.The bottom line is that this movie would have been excellent if there never had been any singing at all...and the singing was a distraction. Additionally, the band actually had, as lead guitarist, Rick Springfield...a guy who really CAN sing and make music....why not let him sing if you insist on having singing?! Overall, I was pretty disappointed in this one...mostly because Meryl is a mega-talent....just not when it comes to singing.

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...

Matt Greene Ricki and the Flash sometimes dabbles in the corny, setting aside reality for easy fixes in its complex relationships. Otherwise, this family dramedy about loving others for who they are really works. Ricki is a great character who doesn't quite fit any one character cliché, riding the lines of good and bad like we all tend to do. The awkwardness is palpable, the humor is natural, the dialogue is engagingly overlapping and the performances are strong.

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