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Madonna: Truth or Dare More at IMDbPro »

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51 reviews in total

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62 out of 82 people found the following review useful:
Whatever, girl., 3 May 2002

Author: GroovyDoom from Haddonfield, IL

I came away from "Truth Or Dare" feeling the way I do when someone cuts me off in traffic and then gives me the finger. On the surface, it's a competent documentary, well-edited and interestingly photographed (even the grainy backstage footage).

On the other hand, the film is like having obnoxious personalities thrust at you with every turn. It wants to be a "controversial", no-holds-barred record of Madonna's large-scale Blonde Ambition concert tour. At the center of this carnival of hard-working but uninspired nincompoops is Madonna herself. Madonna certainly fancies herself the queen bitch, but also wants to show us that she's got a sensitive side too (like when she lies on her mother's grave in front of the camera). I had to laugh when I read other reviews that ascertained how this film shows us that Madonna is "just another human being". What did we think she was? An alien? A ghost?

I enjoyed watching the weirdness involving Warren Beatty. Some of it is curious too, such as when the only heterosexual dancer in Madonna's troupe tries to express the fact that he doesn't like the gay guys he is working with. His words portray him as ignorant, but about his co-dancers he is right on the mark--they are irritating in the same way a nest full of twittering birds outside the bedroom window at 4am would be.

The one thing that fascinates me about "Truth Or Dare" is that Madonna herself had control over this film, yet she comes off as a self-obsessed clod. She's like a real-life version of the Faye Dunaway character from "Network", interested only in success and having no depth of her own. So either she herself didn't realize how shallow it makes her look, or she knew her fans wouldn't notice it--or even stranger, perhaps they idolize her for being so self-centered and detached.

Madonna has always put on airs about herself (like the faux British accent she speaks with these days), but here you can see her stumbling over her various phony images and fronts, like in her decidedly inarticulate prayer before the show that she dedicates to Keith Haring ("...who doesn't have the luxury of being alive like we do..."). The "religious" Madonna chokes on her words and seems flustered that the camera is still rolling, then reacts with a self-conscious aside. Wow, look--Madonna is sensitive!

In fact she's so sensitive that her first reaction when she hears that one of her makeup staff was given a date-rape drug and sodomized is a giggle, albeit a nervous one. Then there's the infamous scene where she totally misses Kevin Costner's sense of humor and mocks him behind his back. Gad, she's so wickedly funny, isn't she? We also learn that Madonna is loyal, like when she excitedly waits to reconnect with a childhood friend, then disregards the woman when she says she'd like to name her unborn baby after Madonna.

The movie also posits that Madonna is an "artist" and that her music is her "art". It's hilarious to watch Madonna and her brother, Christopher, defending the more 'risque' parts of the calculated stage show by calling it a "journey...you have to go through all the different parts to get to the end." See? They HAD to do the masturbation scene.

This kind of self-important stuff seems to be norm for those working with Madonna. She certainly didn't invent this kind of elaborate stage show, but you'd never know it from the way the show is discussed in this movie. Elaborate concerts like this were going on decades before Madonna, and certainly with more substantial artists involved--Pink Floyd comes to mind. Although Madonna's show is opulently staged, it ultimately has little to do with live musicianship. Although there are musicians involved, Madonna is not one of them herself, and the focus of the show is entirely on her and her sets. Yet it doesn't seem to work as theater either, since the "journey" it is purportedly representing is vague, at best.

I can understand how Madonna managed to sell millions of records (even people less talented than Madonna have done so), but I have never understood how she has inspired long-lasting devotion in some people who seem to find greatness in her, and "Truth or Dare" doesn't give much insight to this. In fact, she seems to have succeeded almost in spite of her bitchy attitude and her tendency to either alienate or disregard those who have befriended her or worked with her. Her music is sometimes enjoyable, often unremarkable, and she seems to want to paint herself as an individual who is relentlessly driven to succeed and gets everything she wants, at any cost--as if ruthless ambition were something to aspire to.

While it may be true that Madonna is ambitious, "Truth or Dare" seems to overlook the fact that Madonna is also very clearly a product of a corporate entity, a mediocre recording artist who was so heavily promoted by both herself and her record label that she was bound to catch on. At one point Madonna makes much of her so-called "talent" for pushing peoples buttons (as if being shocking or titillating is difficult), and this may have been one of the ways she made her money, but you can bet that a bunch of guys in suits and ties have made a lot more money off of her. Her willingness to do anything to succeed probably looked pretty good to Warner Brothers records, so they lavished her with money and promotion and let her take off like an obnoxious little kid racing a bike down a hill. The thing that "Truth or Dare" taught me about Madonna is that she was the little kid who probably pushed all the other kids off their bikes so she would get to the bottom of the hill first.

Blonde Ambition, indeed.

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12 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Nothing surprising, 13 March 2002
Author: drosse67 from Virginia

Nothing surprising is revealed in this documentary. Perhaps ten years ago, when the film came out, it stunned many fans and non-fans. But Madonna has remained in the spotlight ever since, and thanks to magazines, interviews, MTV, VH-1, not to mention her music, video, book and film work since 1991, we've seen most of the stuff in this documentary already. Plus, Madonna shows us only what she wants us to see. There are a few moments when the camera suddenly shuts off, like when she confesses that Sean Penn was the love of her life. She also talks about her huge crush on Antonio Banderas, and when he snubs her, she jokingly admits that she will never work with him (obviously she was kidding because she worked with him in Evita). When she's playful and in good spirits, she's fun to watch. But in the end, this is really a vanity project, instead of the completely "naked" documentary it was supposed to be. That probably suits her diehard fans just fine, but regular viewers are hoping to see more than her "attitude" backstage, long footage of her explicit onstage material, constant vulgarity, and high-maintenance daily rituals.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Excellent documentary, 9 February 2000

Author: Altern8 from San Francisco, CA

As a documentary, this movie is excellent. It takes us behind the scenes of one of the most successful and most elaborate music tours produced in recent times. We take a peek at Madonna's private life including her likes and dislikes, her friends, her hectic schedule, and her incredible ambition of staying at the top. But most importantly, we take a close look at how she influences everyone around her. Madonna fans, especially those that attended the Blond Ambition Tour, will really enjoy Truth or Dare.

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6 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Strike a Pose, 10 May 2006

Author: mpact75 from Houston, TX

This is Madonna at her best while during the prime of her music career. Although the film was released in 1991, Truth or Dare actually takes place during the summer of 1990, as Madonna went around the globe on her Blonde Ambition tour. This documentary / music film is a piece of history of not only of Madonna back in the day but what the styles and sounds of the year where like. Boy does it bring back memories! From spandex biker shorts, to that famous cone bra, and not to forget the hairstyles... its really great to watch and think back of what life was like when "Vogue" was her biggest hit to date. She is so revealing, funny, demanding, and warm at heart. It shows the no nonsense business side of her and the sad reflective side of her as she thinks about her mother who died when she was so very young. The film is packed with celebrities, including Warren Beatty, whom she dated while filming his blockbuster film, Dick Tracy. It shows the lives of her dancers, backup singers, and the crew behind the stage as they all mingle around her and do their best for camera time. LOL But in the end, there is no brighter star than Madonna. To this day she is still pushing buttons, creating great music, and daring us all to watch. And just like this film, I think its safe to say she accomplished what she set out to do.

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4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
In the midst of controversy..., 30 June 2003
Author: bd74 from USA

Between 1987 and 1993, Madonna underwent the most controversial period of her life. This documentary highlights one of the most notorious events right in the midst of that period of controversy: her 1990 "Blond Ambition" tour, which spanned four months and took place in Japan, North America, and Europe. The tour was way ahead of its time, featuring innovative music, tour-de-force dance moves, magnificent sets, and dazzling costumes designed by French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier. It turned out to be arguably the best concert ever (certainly Madonna's best concert to date). At the same time, the tour was considered blasphemous for involving the use of religious images and symbols, and it was called racy because of simulated sexual acts that were performed on stage.

What's noteworthy about this documentary is that it shows a behind-the-scenes look at, not just the tour, but also Madonna's life during the tour's run. On stage (and backstage) she's a hard and demanding diva. Yet, this film enables viewers to see another side of Madonna, who according to Warren Beatty, doesn't want to live off-camera. You get to see Madonna surrounded by different people: her entourage, her family, and other celebrities...but you also get to see her all by herself in some scenes. In one scene you hear someone compare Madonna to a little girl lost in a storm. One can only wonder if Madonna, who although is the biggest star in the world, could be the loneliest person in the world. I saw this documentary when it played in theaters, back in 1991, and it was great to see it on the big screen. I especially enjoyed seeing the scenes of the actual concert. I now own this film on DVD. This documentary was definitely the perfect medium with which to immortalize the then-controversial, pre-motherhood Madonna at the height of her career.

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4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Hanging Out With Madonna, 14 July 1999

Author: Katriel from USA

I guess you could say that whoever saw this probably knows now what it's like to be the most famous woman in the world (or at least one of them). Madonna is being Madonna, just living her life and having fun. And in some ways, "Truth or Dare" revealed who the real Madonna is. She's funny, she's daring, she's odd, she's fun, and in her own way, sensitive. She's also one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century, and she's very brilliant. After all, she has been doing what she does best for a long time without losing her creative touch! As a result to the Blonde Ambition Tour which is what this documentary is about, in my opinion, it's not theatrical, but it's exciting and it's fun. Madonna really can WOW her audience and spellbind them with every dance step (and let's not forget that "Like A Virgin" performance) I thought her Girlie Show tour was more theatrical.

Yet what I liked the most about this movie is not the fact that you're actually experiencing Madonna's zone of privacy, but you're actually seeing the REAL Madonna! I think this was one of the smartest things she has ever done in her career despite all those nasty comments people say of her, calling her a slut which is wrong and which she isn't.

I recommend "Truth or Dare" to all music fans, especially if you're a big Madonna fan!!! :o)

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5 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
"Neat"? Anyone who says my show is neat has to go., 1 October 2007

Author: lastliberal from United States

I have always been fascinated with Madonna. I feel that she has been unfairly maligned over the years, as are many who stretch the envelope with new ideas and thinking.

I have to admit I tuned into this documentary just to see Pedro Almodovar. I hadn't realized that Madonna had a thing for Antonio Bandaras and she got to meet him at a party thrown in her honor by Almodovar. Unbelievable, that she lost out to Melanie Griffith.

Seeing Madonna backstage shines a whole new light on her and makes her out to be someone who really cares about putting on a good show and, more importantly, shows her as someone who loves every - black, white, gay, straight - it doesn't matter. Everyone except Kevin Costner, who had the audacity to call her show "neat."

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5 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Madonna - Like you REALLY have never seen her before, 18 March 1999

Author: anonymous

I feel that this film shows Madonna at her best. Sure, there are some embarrassing moments but isn't that what is so great about the whole film? Here, we get to see Madonna as the bossy control-freak, as the carer, as the organiser, as the comedienne and more. As Madonna once said, the film is worth about 5 years of psychoanalysis so why not see it and find out about the real Madonna? You might not like her; but you can't help but love this film.

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9 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Bask in the greatness that is MADONNA, 20 July 2000

Author: Immaculate-2 from West Virginia

Whether you love her or hate her, this is a very enjoyable film. T or D takes you for a look at Madonna's life which may give you more surprises then you had expected. In it she comes off more insecure, compassionate, kinder, interesting, and less sexual than generally thought. Okay, she's still pretty sexual in it, but there is much more to it than that. This film is quite enthralling and includes several full length color performances from the Blonde Ambition tour ( the tour is the basis of this documentary). The rest of it is in black and white: yet, still grabs you like few films do. Cheers to Madonna and Company for a compelling and fun film for all to enjoy - except for the part where she flashes the camera. But, hey, it's Madonna. Who minds seeing that?

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
a strictly narcissistic self portrait, 3 December 2010

Author: Michael Neumann from United States

The ersatz Madonna 'documentary' offers proof of the Material Girl's genius for self-promotion, pretending to be a candid behind-the-scenes portrait of her Blond Ambition tour when it's really just selling a lot of self-conscious backstage posturing, sandwiched between the expected MTV concert footage. Some fashionably grainy black-and-white photography gives the film a spurious air of raw slice-of-life candor, but the whole thing is one long public relations whitewash, no less calculated than her elaborate stage show and often just about as substantial. At times it seems the only purpose of the film is to reinforce the singer's image as some sort of blue-collar angel/whore, with strong maternal instincts toward her dancing troupe. Nothing else about her is revealed, except for a purely mercenary streak of exhibitionism, hardly front-page news. But there's a peculiar irony in watching Madonna (of all people) try to act natural with a camera lens constantly in her face; the effort to simply be herself can almost be called the best 'performance' of her career.

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