Madonna's Evita — Page 2

For me, it all comes down to that final line in "Buenos Aires". 'Just a little touch of STAR QUALITY!' I've yet to hear anyone sing that part how I'd like to hear it: big and belty. Patti didn't do it. Madonna most certainly didn't do it, and the only person I've heard on recording (though I've only heard three) who comes remotely close is whoever plays Eva on the CD I got from footlight ... highlights from the original Broadway production for world tour '89/'90. I have no clue what it is, and there's no cast list either, but it's the only one that I've heard on recording to come even remotely close to what I'd like to hear. And it's not perfect either. She kinda sounds like she yells it. But it's close. I've only heard it done right once and that was in performance in a regional production I saw. Her name was Lee Scaret, althought I'm not sure on the spelling...

The reason I don't like Mandy's voice 95% of the time, is because it is so high and airy all the time. I have come to understand that if you see his performance with it (like the Sunday In The Park With George DVD I just bought), it is not as bad. But, just hearing his voice on a recording is ANNOYING!!

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I liked Madonna's Evita just for "You Must Love Me". Otherwise, I thought it was a big-budget music video (very much like the shallow Moulin Rouge). Don't get me wrong, the best music videos are some of the best art forms out there, but they don't make good movies.

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Updated On: 10/28/04 at 06:10 PM

Just a note, Meryl Streep saw the finished film and loved Madonna's performance, saying she was "born to play the role."

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I think Madonna was excellent in this role and her voice was perfect for the music since this is a pop/rock opera and that is the style in which she sang the music. Those of you who wanted some musical theatre person who did it on stage who was going to sing the part in that typical over-emphasizing-every-note-nazal-singing-with tons of vibrato-musical theatre voice are dreaming. This is a new age here and were ARE the MTV generation and I think this is the greatest and most underrated movie musical ever to come out. The way it was shot like a music video(like PINK FLOYD: THE WALL which Alan Parker also directed) is amazing. No other movie musical you guys know was shot completely this way. As far as cinematography and art direction, this movie had EVERYTHING "The English Patient" (which beat it out at the Oscars) had plus a great roock sountrack. There is no other movie like this and I will fight anyone on this board to defend that.

Madonna was ok. Not great, not awful, but ok. I do think she was a wise choice for the role, but the lack of power in her voice needed to be compensated with flawless direction that could tap into Eva's strength of will and powers of manipulation that the film never quite captured. There was nothing in the film to convince me that Madonna's Eva could capture the attention and hearts of an entire nation. Many opportunities for stunning visuals of choreography and movement were completely ignored in scenes like Buenos Aires and Dangerous Game that were static and/or simply bland.

My only problem with Streep, is that I think it would have been very difficult for the viewer to differentiate Streep from Eva. She's an amazing actress, but so monumental, she is best at fictional characters for which we have no comparison. I only wish Oliver Stone could have directed the film (as he was originally slated to do). His intense images and use of historical footage, I think, would have given the film the edge it needed and possibly boosted the strength of Eva's personal as portrayed by Madonna. Look what he did for Cameron Diaz in Any Given Sunday.

I love Michelle Pfeiffer and I don't know about her singing, but I just don't think her speaking voice has the power behind it to play a convincing Eva, but I do think her acting would have blown Madonna out of the water.

For me, the film version of Evita was a nice, yet constantly misguided, effort that had so much potential and opportunity, that instead of holding out for art, settled for simply being made. Streisand? Thank God that never happened.

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Updated On: 10/29/04 at 09:39 AM

bbe, as Emperor Joseph said in Amadeus, "You are passionate, but you do not persuade"

LOL

I was just about to say the same thing, robbiej. What did rock ever have to do with Madonna or Evita?

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Joey you know I love you more than my luggage, but you're treading on thin ice with that one.

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how so?

OOOooo Robbie!!! what an idea! and she has opera training!!!

Matt, that wasw the only recording i had for quite some time, and then bought the soundtrack... i wonder how Patti and Antonio would have done together? or PAT and ANTONIO!!!

Updated On: 10/29/04 at 10:51 AM

So here we had a property that seemed guaranteed to make huge bucks. Parker's not exactly an unknown quantity and did a pretty phenomnal job of transferring HAIR to the screen. Madonna seemed an inspired choice for the role. And the play itself was one of those "You gotta see it!" mega-musicals that ran for, like, three or four centuries.

Then the movie comes out, and, while it's okay, it's not the huge blockbuster everyone hoped for. It made a small profit, but nothing huge. The DVD release, which usually has a serious impact on a film's profit margin, was more or less ignored.

Madonna really was an inspired choice, IMHO. Her take on the role is very different from Lupone's, and I did find myself intruiged by the way Parker set it all up. Yes, it was clearly an MTV-style movie, with slash cuts all over the place. But it still pretty much died at the box office, despite huge amounts of hype and PR.

Object lesson, folks, one you should bear in mind with the pending release of POTO. Just my o.o2. YMMV.

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