Evita (1996)



Artwork for Theatrical Release

As usual, I shall preface by giving context.  I am Argentine, please hold applause until the end (read:  detrimental humor).  Also, Argentina was playing Brazil in a soccer (futbol) match at MetLife Stadium, and I would be attending with my wife. 

Apparently I was in a musical mood, and when I reached into my musical allegorical pile, out came Evita (1996), that should therefore, not be a huge surprise.

What might be a surprise, to some, is that the film itself, has not aged a bit.  It is 16 years old, and yet, maybe because of it's cinematography, or maybe because of Antonio Banderas's Dorian Grey-esque pact, it looks as crisp and clean as anything shot recently. 

Either way, it is thoroughly enjoyable, even with my ingrained hatred of Madonna's acting, and her inevitable attempts to continue doing so.

The music, all bow to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, is impeccable.  Perfectly orchestrated, and beautifully sung, and this last point does include Madonna. 

But what grates me though, is the fact that, while Jonathan Price and Antonio Banderas and undoubtedly the rest of the cast, choir and all, stand as proof that you can sing and act at the same time, Madonna seems to fail at both of them when done together and singularly.  Her movements seem too robotic, stoic, contrived, and unnatural, and against all visual cues, she cannot pass for 16 years old.

I am sorry.

No I'm not.

The rest of the film is unbelievably beautiful and moving, and the filmmakers' untiring devotion to capturing all of the truly Argentine nuances are well worth it.  Including the fact that the whole play makes a lot more sense when you realize that El Che is not Ernesto 'Che' Guevara like most directors assume, but the omnipotent che.  The generic term for an Argentine person, domestically and abroad.

I can safely tell you that when people in the US or in France or in Mexico, call me el che, they by no means reference my now growing beard and unkempt coif, but more intently the fact that Argentines use the word che the same way that the French use the word chez and the Americans use the term hey, after all that's how Guevara got his nickname (duh) and above all, 'Che' never met Evita, and Evita would have had no mindset regarding him, since she died 7 years before the war in Cuba.

The movie is a classic, in spite of Madonna.  The cinematography is phenomenal.  The music is impeccable.  Most of the acting is spot on and the thoroughness of the director comes cleanly across.

Buy it on Blu-ray for prosperity, if you can find it.  The director, Alan Parker, treats the film more like a drama than a musical, and that makes all the difference.