Ricki and the Flash review: Meryl Streep goes from Iron Lady to Iron Maiden

Meryl Streep goes from Iron Lady to Iron Maiden in Ricki and the Flash, starring as an ageing rocker whose emotional baggage starts to weigh heavy.

Diablo Cody penned the script, following a theme of grownups acting like kids and vice versa (with credits including Juno and Young Adult) and it is Streep's natural warm glow that keeps the eponymous Ricki from seeming too cool and self-indulgent. And she has a pretty good rock voice, too.

Leather-clad and draped in chains and wild hair, Ricki will not be tamed, but her chaotic life translates to a rather unruly script by Cody that director Jonathan Demme struggles to iron out. It's sometimes fun and sometimes a bit awkward beginning with Ricki's grand introduction, on stage at a not-so-happening bar in the San Fernando Valley. Dreams of performing at Madison Square Garden with her band, The Flash, are long behind her, but there isn't a trace of bitterness, only passion for the music and a hint of the same for her bassist Greg (played by real-life rocker Rick Springfield).

Streep gives a fully physical performance, throwing her limbs around like a teenager and impressing with gravelly tones, even taking on classic Lady Gaga anthem 'Bad Romance' with infectious gusto. Ricki's bubble is popped, though, when her buttoned-down ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline) calls from Indiana with news that their daughter Julie (Mamie Gummer, Streep's real-life daughter) is getting divorced and dealing with it, badly, kicking the drama into gear. Gummer's hair is almost a supporting character for their earlier scenes when she refuses to brush it, adding to mum's guilt, who is shocked to hear she attempted suicide.

Not surprisingly, Streep and Gummer have an easy rapport, as do Streep and Kline. Julie's admiration for her mother shines through, even as she gives her a rough time and Pete still holds a small torch as well. This isn't the case with her two sons (Sebastian Stan and Nick Westrate) who are, essentially, stock characters. By not paying the other siblings enough attention, the filmmakers do Ricki a disservice, seeming to support the theory that she doesn't care enough about them. It's down to Streep to convince us otherwise, tapping into her own inner child to get across the fear that cripples her as a parent.

Just as it feels Demme and Streep are getting to the nitty gritty, the plot takes another left turn, leading Streep back to the west coast and making her relationship with Greg the focus. The film hits a wall (even leaving aside Springfield's wooden performance) and proceeds to meander in search of a happy resolution. Fortunately, Streep has a few good songs to channel some of the angst she is feeling, even if the script doesn't delve much deeper into it. Similarly, Gummer is denied the chance to develop her character through to a new level of maturity. Ricki is fun to be around, but like the memory of watching this, she's not the kind that sticks around.

Director: Jonathan Demme; Screenwriter: Diablo Cody; Starring: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Mamie Gummer, Sebastian Stan, Rick Springfield; Running time: 101 mins; Certificate: 12A