Falling for Figaro parents guide

Falling for Figaro Parent Guide

Unappealing characters make it difficult to like this film.

Overall C-

Digital on Demand: Sick of her stressful career, Millie heads off to Scotland to pursue her dream of becoming an opera singer.

Release date October 1, 2021

Violence A-
Sexual Content B
Profanity D
Substance Use B

Why is Falling for Figaro rated Not Rated? The MPAA rated Falling for Figaro Not Rated

Run Time: 104 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Millie (Danielle Macdonald) seems to have it all. She’s a successful fund manager in line for a major promotion, she has a loving boyfriend, and enjoys a beautiful flat in a posh part of London. But her white-collar job is unfulfilling, so she leaves it to pursue her true passion: becoming an opera singer. A friend suggests she go learn from Meghan Geoffrey-Bishop (Joanna Lumley), a retired opera diva living a secluded life in the Scottish Highlands. After she arrives, Millie meets Max (Hugh Skinner), Meghan’s other student who resents having a new rival.

I wanted to like this movie; I really did. I can appreciate a cheesy, Hallmark-style romance when it’s done well. And I will say the first maybe third or so of the runtime is good. But the whole story, and consequently my enjoyment, fell apart soon after that. These types of love triangles, the boyfriend back home and the new, mysterious stranger, only work when the boyfriend back home is a bit of a jerk and the new guy is charming, if a little rough around the edges. Somehow the writers seemed to mix the two up, unfortunately. Millie’s boyfriend back in London, Charlie (Shazaf Latif), is understanding, loyal, supportive, charming, and everything else one could possibly want in a man. Max, on the other hand, is rude, brooding, and lacks the charisma needed in a leading man. There is zero chemistry between Millie and Max, and so the audience has no reason to root for the two of them. Watching Millie cheat on perfect Charlie (emotionally at least) with the sad sack of cardboard just made me dislike her even more than I already did. On that note, Millie is an unlikeable protagonist, and Danielle Macdonald isn’t a very good actress, so I just didn’t really care what happened to her after a certain point.

If I can muster up some positives, the Scottish scenery is breathtaking. If there had been more shots of Highland cows on misty moors, maybe I would have enjoyed myself more. The singing is great as well, though that’s a pretty low bar for a movie about opera. There is a fine film in here somewhere; I think the writing just ruined a perfectly good concept.

From a content perspective, this is not for children, but I think that’s obvious based on the genre. For a romance, however, there is a surprising lack of sex, which is refreshing. Yes, it comes up in conversation a few times and there’s some making out, but it’s relatively mild. There is some swearing, including 8 F-bombs, but I honestly expected a lot more for a story set in Scotland. If you like opera, maybe you’d enjoy this movie for that aspect, but the bad acting, clueless writing, and unlikeable characters ruin what could have been a fun time.

Directed by Ben Lewin. Starring Danielle Macdonald, Joanna Lumley, Hugh Skinner, Gary Lewis. Running time: 104 minutes. Theatrical release October 1, 2021. Updated

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Falling for Figaro
Rating & Content Info

Why is Falling for Figaro rated Not Rated? Falling for Figaro is rated Not Rated by the MPAA

Violence: There is verbal bullying including people being called useless and terrible. 
Sexual Content: Adult couples kiss. A man suggests his girlfriend think about “creative sex”, specifically mentioning leather and S&M, though this is all said a joking manner. There are some sexual innuendos and discussion. A couple are seen making out while lying on a bed. The man starts to undo the woman’s shirt, but she stops him and leaves.
Profanity: There are eight sexual expletives, along with around nine mild to moderate expletives and eight terms of deity.
Alcohol / Drug Use: Adults are seen drinking at restaurants and other social events, though not to excess. Some scenes take place in a pub.

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Falling for Figaro Parents' Guide

What motivates Millie to chase her dream? How do the people around her either support or undermine her efforts? What are some dreams you have?

Home Video

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When a widowed American decides to kick off her bucket list tour with a stay in Scotland, she soon falls in love with the crusty owner of the castle where she stays in Then Came You. In a much better musical fantasy set in Scotland, Brigadoon sees two American lads singing and dancing their way through the enchanted hills with a couple of winsome local lasses.

Finding You is set among the green hills of Ireland and follows an American violinist who travels to the Emerald Isle to study violin and regain her confidence. En route she meets a movie star and decides he’s not as arrogant as she first thought.

In One Chance, an Englishman follows his heart and his passion for opera and sings in Britain’s Got Talent.