Evita

Rating:
Summary: Don't Cry For Me Just The Transfer!
Review: Alan Parker's "Evita" stirred up a heap of controversy in Argentina where it seems the population wasn't exactly keen on having their former first lady represented in the embodiment of an American pop star (Madonna). No one could have done the role more justice. Together with Antonio Bandaras and Jonathan Price, the screen ignites with hot music, cool numbers and "that little something extra". A new song, 'You Must Love Me' that Madonna wrote really gives the film a shot in the arm during its second half.
Unfortunately, the transfer of this film is just bare bones and a shade above my usual vote for "bad". Though widescreen, this movie is not enhanced for 16X9 televisions. Aliasing, shimmering and edge enhancement are present throughout. Colors are slightly muddy and darker scenes really suffer from a loss of fine detail. The 5.1 audio is explosive, giving full range to Andrew Lloyd Webber's classy classic score. WARNING: This is not a Hollywood musical - it's a rock opera. In other words very little is said on the screen that is not accompanied by a full orchestra arrangement. If this is your cup of tea than Madonna does Eva Peron proud. She looks, acts and sings the part to perfection. There are no extra features on this disc!

Rating:
Summary: Betrayal of the stage play for Madonna and $$$$
Review: This movie is a complete betrayal of the original stage play. Evita is softened not to offend the Argentines during the filming from the monster she was in the play. Che, "a revolutionary" in the film is a watered down version of the Che Guevara character who functions as a Greek chorus in the play. Who is Banderas playing anyway? The director cutting the most damning of verses in his songs which criticize Evita completely emasculates this character.
Not as bad a performance by Madonna as in Swept Away, but she is wooden and lost in the crucial dramatic scenes. Her "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" lacks the power of Patti Lupone's and is inoffensive at best, revealing what we always knew in the first place, Madonna is a studio creation with a weak voice. The biggest crime is the stealing from Peron's mistress the song "Another Suticase in Another Hall" and giving it to Evita. Theft is the correct term because despite what the director has claimed, the only reason Evita was given this song was that Madonna liked it better than any other song in the play and wanted to sing it. This film is a star turn for Madonna. Turn it down. It's a pity too. The play is my favorite musical.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Film...
Review: I was skeptical when I learned that Madonna was cast in the lead role. My fears quickly vanished on my first viewing. She gives the performance of a lifetime. The photography is beautiful, the acting superb and the music... well... it's Evita!

Rating:
Summary: Amazing transition from stage to screen!
Review: To say Evita is a difficult production is a gross understatement. Having done the stage production, I was prepared to dislike them movie, but was very pleasantly surprised. Superb castting and well researched and executed costumes and settings make this a movie to watch again and again.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT movie - Don't let negative reviewers drive you away
Review: Forgive me for being blunt in this review.
I absolutely loved this movie. I dont understand what you people are talking about? Madonna cant sing? Are you people the same people who think these FAKE rockers/rappers/etc of today can sing so beautifully. I highly recommend listening to the song "La Isla Bonita" and tell me if she can't sing? While you people are complaining about this not being the play I will enjoy this movie. I honestly recommend that you listen closer and keep your negative opinions about Madonna out of it.

About the movie, Antonio Banderas was suprisingly great. And Madonna is an outstanding singer and she didnt disappoint here. It deserved every award it got. I recommend you to read the review Roger Ebert wrote on this movie because it is very true and well written. It is also very historically true.

Rating:
Summary: Good singing and intense story
Review: Before I saw this I swore off anything that Madonna did. But I felt that she carried this movie very well. Everyone was well casted in this movie. It was well done. It is very intense too. It is not a movie for everyone. If you are into action packed constant excitement, this is not the movie for you. If you like movies that have good singing that moves slowly and carefully then it is. It was a really good movie and well done. The soundtractk is for a wider audience then the movie. The soundtrack is good background music.

Rating:
Summary: Asi-asi
Review: Okay...to my opinion on Evita, The Motion Picture. I am not comparing this to the Broadway play--I have not seen the play. I am a musical fanatic, so it's not that I find musical productions boring or trite or weird or anything. The movie really didn't do it for me. I don't think Madonna should have been cast as Evita.

Yes, I'm aware that there were similarities in Evita's and Madonna's lives, and even physical likenesses. And yes, Madonna is a singer. However, Madonna's voice, I feel, is not suited for the rangy, lusty material in this musical. "Like A Virgin" is not "Buenos Aires." After seeing this movie I listened to other recordings of Evita, and Madonna's renditions don't even come close to matching the passion and gusto to those of Laurie Beechman or Patti LuPone. In fact, the ranges of the songs were quite obviously adjusted to compensate for Madonna's lack of vocal ability.

One reviewer stated that "This isn't the Broadway version, but this movie stands on its own." No, I don't agree. A movie should be compared to others in its own genre. A Broadway musical should not be made into a 3-hour music video.

I also had a hard time with the way Evita was shot. The song "Buenos Aires" is really lively and full of energy. Madonna should have been out on a bright, sunny open marketplace, dancing(utilizing one of her strengths), with action happening all around; horses, peddlers, merchants, and aristocrats. For the most part, it was shot in a dark, dingy nightclub (in a single room). Why film something in one room? You're not confined to a stage anymore! I found myself becoming extremely bored and restless after about an hour into the film.

Contrary to some other reviewers, I thought Antonio Banderas did a fine job. I understand that his character was somewhat different than in the original. Regardless of that, I felt he breathed fiery Latin passion into his role and gave the movie the spark it much needed.

Rating:
Summary: Madonna??????
Review: The movie was good but I just couldn't get over the fact that they hired Madonna. I mean people should think before they totally trash a legend. There are alot of talented Latino actress' that would have done a wonderful job with this part. Antonio Banderas was great in this film. He has a magnificient voice and I hear he is going to play the phantom of the opera for his next musical which should be good. I hate movies that focus on the actor or actress more so than the story. Which is what happened with this movie. Take a hint from LOTR. Hire an unknown and make a better movie.

Rating:
Summary: Boring!
Review: This is one of or if not Madonna's most boring and uniteresting films that she has ever done. The film had high expectations and the first night it was released in theaters the place was packed. By the second half of the film more than half the audience was asleep. I was getting pretty bored myself. I think this is a lacklustre movie and a waste of money. The entire film is nothing but song and at the very end there is finally some dialogue. That was the dialogue that won Madonna an accolade. If you must see this film expect to yaaaaawn all the way!

Rating:
Summary: Now we know ...
Review: So much to learn from this movie:
(1) The device of the 'generic antagonist' can never work. Banderas tries really hard. It's just silly and distracting at first, but it ends up silly and unresolvable.
(2) Never make a musical about electoral politics. It's as inspiring as a feature-length campaign ad.
(3) Avoid showing every damn moment! Her rise, the best part of the movie, took an hour. Her elections took another hour! Her death took yet another hour! And it seemed like a lifetime!
(4) The best singing on earth can't help a script that runs three times as long as it should, and which says nothing new after the first 30 minutes.
(5) When writing musicals, less is more. Throw away everything repetitive, everything trivial: songs, music, lyrics, ideas, set pieces ... there were moments at the beginning where I thought the creators had some sense of this. And then they just went on some sort of mindless drunken bender, echoing themselves ad nauseum.
Please -- Hollywood -- Webber -- please try to value the time of the little people! We don't have any true free time! Because there's so much junk to consume!