Tuesday, April 22, 2008

EVITA WHAT WENT WRONG WITH THE MOVIE? REVIEW BY STAN HECK


I love the score of "Evita". I love Patti Lu Pone and her recording of the music. She has a great Soprano voice. Now When the movie was made and released the score was re-written to suit Madonna's limited lower voice range.



I thought however the movie suffered from the style in which the director took to the material. Which got me to thinking about what else went wrong with the movie.


1) Alan Parker included most of the score. Some songs should of been cut & replaced with dialog.


2) Another Suit Case in Another Hall. This should of still be sung by Juan's mistress. When the movie was made they gave the song to Madonna. This doesn't make since artistically. When the movie starts "Evita" is 15 years old. A virgin. She meets with a traveling singer & sleeps with him. Then when she moves into town with the singer she starts to sing "Another Suit Case". The songs first line is " I don't expect my love affairs to last too long". The song was written for the mistress point of view to show Evita had no compassion for people that stood in her way. Even if they were people she could relate too.



3) The songs had to many costume changes . The star of the songs were not the actors or the music it was the the star became the clothes.

4) Bad filming & editing of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"

5) To many unknowns in the cast. The singing chorus that is cut to from time to time should of been cast with known singers. Who were these people?
6) Too many camera set ups. "Rainbow High" should of had less costumes, but added humor.
The only this the movie did so well was the opening of the Funeral. Any moment in that scene where the casket is being carried through town could be framed for art. This is The most beautifully shot moments that I have ever seen on film.

The song and dance "Waltz for Evita & Che" is great.
A movie worth watching its just not perfect. In all I still give it *** out of ****

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