The Reel Review
A successful fund manager quits her lucrative job in London to train with a renowned opera instructor in a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands. Her goal – to win a national singing competition and jumpstart a new career as an opera singer. The problem? Her chief rival is a fellow student. Danielle Macdonald, Joanna Lumley and Hugh Skinner star in this musical romcom.
No surprise – Lumley brings a boatload of belly laughs to her performance as the sadistic, viper-tongued teacher. But there is more to her than meets the eye – as she sees the benefit of having her two students – one technically proficient but passionless and the other talented but inexperienced – collaborate to make each other better. While Lumley brings the dry, side-eyed humor, it is Macdonald (Dumplin’, Patti Cake$) who brings the heart, as the confident young woman unafraid of pursuing her passion.
Yes, Falling for Figaro is eye-rollingly predictable and some of the dubbed opera singing from director/co-writer Ben Lewin (The Catcher Was a Spy, The Sessions) doesn’t always perfectly line-up with his actors’ lip synching, but he does throw in a few surprises to shake things up. Falling for Figaro is an upbeat, feel-good message about following your dreams, no matter how big they may be.
REEL FACTS
• Danielle Macdonald and Hugh Skinner’s singing was dubbed by award-winning Australian opera singers Stacey Alleaume and Nathan Lay.
• Joanna Lumley’s husband, classical conductor Stephen Barlow, served as an opera consultant on the film.
• Falling for Figaro was filmed in the Scottish Highlands and Trossachs including Glencoe, Loch Lomond and two theatres in Glasgow.
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