Evita (1996): Starring Madonna, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce, Jimmy Nail, Julian Littman, Victoria Sus, Olga Merediz, Laura Pallas, Julia Worsley, Maria Lujan Hidalgo, Servando Villamil, Andrea Corr, Peter Polycarpou, Gabriel Kraisman, Martin Drogo, Venesa Weis, Veronica Ferrari Risler, Aldana Garcia Soler, Domingo Chiofalo, Nick Holder, Eva Vari, Denis Lill, Ana Justo, Sergio Lerer, Marcelo Alejandro Auchelli, Fernando Agustin Henin, Brian Cobby, Victor Satchwell....Director Alan Parker. Based On The Musical By Andrew Lloyd Webber With Lyrics By Tim Rice, Screenplay By Oliver Stone.
Hollywood had long desired to adapt the riveting story of Argentina's First Lady Eva Peron into a movie but the major Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Sunset Boulevard) had previously made it into a hit stage musical sometime in the late 70's. This is the film version of that same musical, though some of the original songs and certain scenes were cut out and edited due to time. When it was released in 1996, it was not a big success, despite attempts to make it a grand affair- the casting of pop singing legend Madonna, Spanish-born actor Antonio Banderas, a script partly written by Oliver Stone and a lavish, big-budget production. Madonna has long been regarded by some as a lousy actress who promotes her pop singing career even through film but ought to stick to singing ONLY. In the past, she attempted to have a joint career as both actress and singer but it's in the role of singer/entertainer she is most comfortable with. As an actress, she tends to appear strangely awkward and very stiff. She does not have the "Broadway" voice so necessary for Evita as audiences saw in performances by singers such as Patti Lupone and indeed her voice is lighter than most Broadway divas. Yet, her version of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" the most beautiful song in the musical, was made famous through this film and played constantly on the radio in 1996 and the soundtrack as well as single sold millions. Because this is one particular musical where dialog is not included, Madonna's acting is terribly weak and the few times she seems to be acting she makes Evita appear very vulnerable and too "American" when she ought to be poised, regal and very Latin. It's a pity they didn't cast a Hispanic woman with similar features to the real life Eva Peron. Dark, sexy and charismatic Latin actor Antonio Banderas has a great, expressive, singing voice (who knew ?)but looks oddly out of place in this film. He appears to be a brief visitor to the film like Madonna herself. As usual, fans of the Lloyd Webber musical were displeased. Webber's musicals are generally not well received on film, such as the recent December 2004/January 2005 film version of Phantom of the Opera attested. The story of Evita Peron is told through various scenes and ensemble/solo songs in this lush cinematic work. Set in Argentina in the 40's, we follow the rise of Eva Peron to power. From her humble beginnings as a poor country girl, to her social climbing days as an actress to her marriage to President Juan Peron. But being on top had its share of problems. In Argentina, workers are on strike and protesting social injustice, World War II rages on and Eva is privately struggling with cancer. She becomes a larger than life figure, like a sort of Latin Eleanor Roosevelt and far outshines her own husband. She goes on the famous and highly publicized Rainbow Tour of Europe where she meets with the Pope, Spain's dictator Franco and the French President. She finds keeping power is difficult and feels she is still the same girl she left behind in her acting days. Ahead of her time, she prefigured such star-turned-politicians as Ronald Reagan and Schwartznegger. Eva Peron's life is not accurately portrayed in this musical as this is mostly a form of theater and entertainment. It's very operatic and emotional but not entirely truthful. Great costumes and cinematography which beautifully depict a long ago time and place. This is a beautiful film, despite the fact that many film critics and even the Oscars snubbed it. It's a musical with a powerful emotional scope and if you're familiar with the life of Evita Peron, this film is sure to be a delight.
Hollywood had long desired to adapt the riveting story of Argentina's First Lady Eva Peron into a movie but the major Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Sunset Boulevard) had previously made it into a hit stage musical sometime in the late 70's. This is the film version of that same musical, though some of the original songs and certain scenes were cut out and edited due to time. When it was released in 1996, it was not a big success, despite attempts to make it a grand affair- the casting of pop singing legend Madonna, Spanish-born actor Antonio Banderas, a script partly written by Oliver Stone and a lavish, big-budget production. Madonna has long been regarded by some as a lousy actress who promotes her pop singing career even through film but ought to stick to singing ONLY. In the past, she attempted to have a joint career as both actress and singer but it's in the role of singer/entertainer she is most comfortable with. As an actress, she tends to appear strangely awkward and very stiff. She does not have the "Broadway" voice so necessary for Evita as audiences saw in performances by singers such as Patti Lupone and indeed her voice is lighter than most Broadway divas. Yet, her version of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" the most beautiful song in the musical, was made famous through this film and played constantly on the radio in 1996 and the soundtrack as well as single sold millions. Because this is one particular musical where dialog is not included, Madonna's acting is terribly weak and the few times she seems to be acting she makes Evita appear very vulnerable and too "American" when she ought to be poised, regal and very Latin. It's a pity they didn't cast a Hispanic woman with similar features to the real life Eva Peron. Dark, sexy and charismatic Latin actor Antonio Banderas has a great, expressive, singing voice (who knew ?)but looks oddly out of place in this film. He appears to be a brief visitor to the film like Madonna herself. As usual, fans of the Lloyd Webber musical were displeased. Webber's musicals are generally not well received on film, such as the recent December 2004/January 2005 film version of Phantom of the Opera attested. The story of Evita Peron is told through various scenes and ensemble/solo songs in this lush cinematic work. Set in Argentina in the 40's, we follow the rise of Eva Peron to power. From her humble beginnings as a poor country girl, to her social climbing days as an actress to her marriage to President Juan Peron. But being on top had its share of problems. In Argentina, workers are on strike and protesting social injustice, World War II rages on and Eva is privately struggling with cancer. She becomes a larger than life figure, like a sort of Latin Eleanor Roosevelt and far outshines her own husband. She goes on the famous and highly publicized Rainbow Tour of Europe where she meets with the Pope, Spain's dictator Franco and the French President. She finds keeping power is difficult and feels she is still the same girl she left behind in her acting days. Ahead of her time, she prefigured such star-turned-politicians as Ronald Reagan and Schwartznegger. Eva Peron's life is not accurately portrayed in this musical as this is mostly a form of theater and entertainment. It's very operatic and emotional but not entirely truthful. Great costumes and cinematography which beautifully depict a long ago time and place. This is a beautiful film, despite the fact that many film critics and even the Oscars snubbed it. It's a musical with a powerful emotional scope and if you're familiar with the life of Evita Peron, this film is sure to be a delight.