[Timmy_Wishes he was Quast]

I have just watched the film and revised chartism simultaniously. Just a few thoughts...

I though Madonna was amazing! I think her performance is rivaled only by that of Julie Covington on the White Label Album. Her acting of the death of Eva is soo sensitive tht it moved me like no one else.

Does anyone know what she actaully died of?!

Also why did they opt to cast her over a more convential stage actress was it due to her popular appeal. Because really the only major stage actor is Pryce and he's in the more minor role!?

[Jordan]

[LesMisForever]

Hello

Hmmm Timmy. I think Madonna was Ok, but not great. Both Madonna and especially Banderas were much worse vocally than the stage actors.

The casting was of course financially motivated. Movies need big names to draw public.

Btw, i do like very much the early works of Madonna. I still listen to her early albums such as "Like a Prayer" (Yes i am an ancient guy . I was around since then ), but even in those she hasn't got strong voice. She is a good performer when given a good material to work with, but not really a great singer. As for her acting. She did give a decent performance. Certainly her best. Otherwise, she is an awful actress apart from that Baseball movie.

Well, at least that is what i think.

[jcstar]

I also enjoyed Madonna as Eva. I was moved by her performance.

Madonna actually persuaded Parker to cast her in the role. She wrote him a hand-written four page letter explaining why she was "the only one who could play the part." Parker was looking at other women like Striesand or Julia Roberts. I have the complete list of Eva's-that-were-considered-but-not-to-be.

Madonna's death scene (Lament) is the most moving death I have ever seen. She's not acting, there. That's real emotion, real sadness, real tears. She's also singing live in that scene. Parker was floored by what she did.

Eva Peron passed away on 26 July 1952. She had cancer of the uterus. By the time the cancer was discovered, it was too late. It had spread and was taking hold of her body. The light swoitch thing you see at the end of the film, they actually did that. To signify that Eva had passed on.

Peron is the minor role in the film/show. I actually think Rice should have written more for him, but I also think that it would have taken some of the focus of the story away from Eva.

Andy.

[kiya18]

I would personally love to see the the complete list of Eva's-that-were-considered-but-not-to-be.

[jcstar]

When my production of EVITA closes in February and I get all my research back from the director, I'll post the entire list.

Andy.

[Radames's_Angel]

I think Patti Lupone was the best Evita (1 week til I see her live! ^_^) If you listen to the movie on surround sound you can tell Madonna's voice was altered which turns me off some, but Antonio Banderas did very well, not as good as Mandy Patamkin (spelling?)

[Witness]

Madonna had done quite a few movies before she did Evita, but she wasn't a true actress. Remember she never trained to be an actress and she is a veru stubborn character, always doing thing her way. i don't think she really enjoys being directed. Maybe that's why know she is directing herself (she directed her H&M commercial and is now working on her first short film);

I think Evita was the first and maybe the only role Madonna really took seriously. She really became an actress to play that part. By that I mean she invested all her time to the project. She wasn't doing music or anything else on the side, she focussed on becoming Eva. She did months of research and talking to lots of people who knew Eva Peron. She studied film of Eva to copy her manerisms and movement. She took tangoclasses etc.



You can read about it in the diaries she kept during the making of this movie:

http://www.madonna-online.ch/m-online/interviews/interview-sites/96-11_vanity-fair-evita-diaries.htm

Her emotions during the deathscene are brought on by thinking of her own mother who also died of uterus cancer when she was 5 years old. That's why it's seems so genouine. She really was sad. She wasn't faking it. I hope that if she decides to act again she takes it as seriously as she did with this project.

I don't think you should compare Madonna to Patti. it's two different worlds. I think Madonna was very believable and moving in her portrail and she did a good job on the songs. Patti was amazing in the stageperformance and broadway needs more spunk and boldness than hollywood. They're both great.

[jcstar]

To quote Alan Parker:

"You will do what I tell you to do. This sin't a Madonna music video."

He said that at the start of shooting the film.

Andy.