Rating: 
Summary: I cry!
Review: Ok this film is damn good if not great. Madonna wasnt the original choice Gloria Estefan was but Parker and the studio heads though tshe wasn't bankable and went with Madonna. Who had to take voice lessons- finally! The results are worth it madonna is not an actress and never will be-she just doesnt have the presence. She has built this persona as MADONNA that you cant see her as anything else and the definition of an actor is to be a chameleon. But What she does here is give you the best video of her career she mourns at you and begs for you ta accept he rinterpertaion of the materials. And i do accept it. Bandeas is good here if not a bit overwhelming but the true star here is the cinematography. THe funeral walk to the train arriving in Argentina is a masterpiece and was oscar nominated-it should have won! It's a great movie and deserves to be watched and sung aloud with friends once you all know the songs
Rating:
Summary: It Depends What You Saw First
Review: It appears that admiration for this film version of Evita depends upon which you saw first -- this film, or the stage production. Those who saw/heard the stage presention first will favor it, and those exposed first to the movie will prefer the film version.I thought the film was just great. I received the film soundtrack as a gift long before I saw the movie. I happened to be ill, and for three days, all day long, I listened to the sountrack again and again. The music is fabulous, the melodies terrific, the integration really fine. The story formed itself in my mind solely from the lyrics... I pictured Antonio Banderas, as Che, playing a walk-on minstrel-narrator who occasionally dropped into the scene, not unlike Nat Cole and Stubby Kaye in Cat Ballou -- and the movie, in fact, after I finally got to see it, bore out that impression. Antonio was preferable to Mandy because of the accent. The Che character NEEDED that accent, rolling R's and all, and Antonio provided it perfectly. And Madonna was super. If only fate had offered this role to her ten years earlier!
Rating: 
Summary: antonio badaras can sing
Review: he really can, i was so surprised when he came on and started belting high Es. modonna was a good eva peron but a little old for the role i thought, there is only so much makeup can do with a woman in her 40s. johnathan prise is also an excellent addition to the cast, the original engineer in miss saigon his singing abilities was under utilized here i think but good none the less. i can see why this would win a golden globe but not an oscar since oscars are not only a measure of quality but also box office. an excellent movie all around.
Rating:
Summary: MADONNA FINALLY IN FROM THE COLD
Review: It was Xmas 1996. I was sitting at the premiere of Evita. It started and I cried. My companion was uncomfortable("Is he going 2be like t h a t for the rest of the movie?????) However, I expected something a`la CABARET(1972) and then found myselfwatching - at times - a music video. I found the libretto - at times mind u - 2 much for the music. And the stars? Well, OK, but it was just a piece of walking though a parade. Not ACTING in any sense. However, before it was finished, I started2likewhat I saw and have since held Madonna in great respect. It was great on DVD(no - this is not a cinema film only) and when u buy the the premises - it is good entertainmment. It is important that it was virtally the only musical from Hollywood in the 90s(with Paramount`s Liza Minnelli vehicle Stepping Out 1991) and it is a shame that it didn`t revive the musical genre.
Rating:
Summary: Solid film version of EVITA rates an Ole'!!!!!
Review: It took long enough, but when the film version of EVITA finally made it to the big screen, it proved to be a worthy successor to the classic musical films of the 50's & 60's. Stylish, well-paced and intelligent, this films features 2 solid performances by Madonna in the title role, and Antonio Banderas as the commentator, Che. Madonna plays the role on a more ambiguous level then the stage version, where her character's selfishness was obviously clear-cut. Fortunately, it works to communicate why the people of Argentina loved this icon. Madonna handles the role very well, making this her best film performance ever. However, Antonio Banderas' Che is the movie's heart and soul. Played more as a "man on the street" as opposed to being the revolutionary Che Guevera, Banderas connects with us in the audience while being swept up in the events within the film. Jonathan Pryce is solid in the thankless role of Evita's husband, Juan Peron. In an era where the musical film is an all but forgotten genre, EVITA is a solid film that reminds us how wonderful they could be. Recommended, especially for fans of the musical theatre.
Rating:
Summary: BEAUTIFUL!!!...
Review: ...Madonna proves she can sing, act, and dance. She brings to life the true story of actress and Argantina's first lady, Eva Peron. Antonio Banderas(my FAVORITE) plays narrater Che, while Jonathan Pryce plays Argentina's President. Fresh from singing lessons, all of them, as well as everybody else is this film, make this a truly beautiful musical. Regardless of what her criticks may say, Madonna can sing beautifully. Antonio Banderas surprised me with his strong, gritty vocals, vast acting talent, and how handsome he seemed... No wonder it won all the awards, with exceptional acting, singing, dancing, directing, and producing. Its moving to hear her singing in "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," and Madonna can break your heart with the beautiful, tender ballad "You Must Love Me." From beginning to end, this movie is not only historical, but also beautiful. I truly hope you enjoy this movie as much as I do. ENJOY!
Rating:
Summary: Good movie; but not true history
Review: This is an entertaining movie, but it is not the true history of Evita. I hope people will remember that. Also, in regard to this movie's suggestion that, and a certain fellow reviewer's calling it a "historical fact,": there is no evidence WHATSOEVER that Eva Peron was ever a prostitute. Just another example of one of the many myths, completely unfounded by the slightest bit of evidence, that have sprung up around this incredible woman.
Rating:
Summary: Important footnote to life of the REAL Eva Peron
Review: This is a good musical. No, it is not the real history of Eva Peron, but it /is/ an entertaining movie. As someone who has studied Eva Peron's life for over 15 years, and is an associate of members of Eva Peron's family, I feel qualified to say that the ... is incorrect - Eva Peron had anything BUT a hollow life. Eva helped gain for Argentine women the right to vote (she is currently on the Argentine stamp and a commemorative peso has been issued with her on it to mark the 50th anniversary of the passing of the law that made it legal for Argentine women to vote), she helped make divorce legal, she built 1000 schools in the poorest areas of Argentina, and because of the work of her foundation, a foundation which built thousands of houses for homeless and poor people, a foundation that trained people who were too poor to go to school, for the first time in Argentine history there was no inequality in health care - in her foundation Evita worked 16 to 20 hour days! She didn't have time to have a "hollow" life! The Evita portrayed in this musical does indeed seem to have a hallow life, but, as I said, this is /not/ the real Eva Peron - it is a Hollywood/Broadway version of Eva Peron. I believe that a mistake a lot of people have made has been to interpret Eva Peron as a phoney because she was so dramatic, and I think it was her dramatic/theatrical nature that led Broadway and Hollywood people to be interested in her. Eva was undoubtedly theatrical in her rhetoric and relation to the "descamisados" (shirtless ones) in Argentina, but this does not mean she was telling lies or being ingenuine - all evidence points to the fact that Evita meant EVERY dramatic and theatrical thing she said. And it has been noted that prior to her career as first lady, Evita was a lousy actress in her theater work - if she was lousy in theater and movies, then why was she so successful as the spokesperson and defender of the women and the poor of Argentina? - BECAUSE SHE MEANT WHAT SHE SAID. The real Eva Peron /was/ playing a role as first lady, but it was a role she took to heart and meant! Her dying words to Peron were, "Never abandon the poor, they are the only ones who know how to be loyal." The real Eva Peron /was/ playing a role, but ALL politicians, and all people, "play" roles in their careers - so why do people degrade or try to diminish Evita's role? A role which, again, was anything but hollow. The real Eva Peron was much more complex, fascinating, hard working, and intense than this movie portrays - but its a musical! What can we expect? For a closer look at the real Eva Peron I would recommend reading "Evita: The Real Life of Eva Peron" by Fraser and Navarro. But for lite entertainment I would recommend watching this video...however, keep in mind that this is NOT the real Eva Peron. It is a character, and a movie, "inspired by" Eva Peron's life story. Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal Performance
Review: The music in this rendition of Evita is the closest I've heard to the original London cast recording. The acting and filming in this movie were suprisingly good and supported the music flawlessly. The transition from stage to screen worked very well. Overall the movie was quite immersive. In comparison, the musical quality outshined the Premiere American recording of 1979 (which I found extremely disappointing.)
Rating:
Summary: Banderas makes the show.
Review: I read every review and found some of the comments interesting. The calls for Mandy and Patti were ridiculous. This is a story about a woman's life from youth to death at a young age. Neither of the two actors called for, except for Mandy perhaps, could have done that. They're too old. I saw Evita on the London stage and I recall the great actors that originated the roles. They were good but they wouldn't have been able to do this movie in 1996. Age matters in characterization. Antonio brought ambiguity to the view of Evita: hate, love, sexual attraction. He's a beautiful man and a great and brave actor. <check out his Spanish roles if you don't believe me> He was the right Che because you could believe he got his hands dirty with work as opposed to other actors who have done Che. He is a blue collar man growling out his passionate view of a woman who got spared in characterization in this film. She was a crooked witch and that should have been made clear. Antonio's role is the closest thing to insuring that in the movie. To say he can't act is a slam that is hard to accept when you consider what he has done in his career. I hope he indeed is up for the Phantom role for film. He's terrific in what he does and if he's beautiful to look at too, that's icing on the cake. He made the movie for me. I would recommend it to everyone, not just those of us who appreciate his ballsy and intelligent approach to what he does. Check out his Pedro Almadovar films. You will never have less than respect for him again.
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