Thursday, January 12, 2017

Crying for Argentina

Brashs is a defunct Australian retail chain that sold stereo and video equipment, televisions, VHS video tapes, records, audio cassettes, and CDs. It has a tongue in cheek Facebook fan page.

The other day it had a posting about Evita, the 1996 film adaptation of the stage musical, with Madonna in the lead role. It is twenty years to the day that this film was released in cinemas. In one of those situations where a group of friends are at a cinema and settle on seeing a film because they can't agree what to see, I have vivid memories of seeing Evita in a cinema in suburban Melbourne.

The first thing that irritated our group were the opera influences, so that all of the dialogue was sung, and not spoken.

The cinema we went to screened a print in which the audio track and and the vision were slightly out of sync. This was amusing and annoying at the same time.

Then there was Antonio Banderas, playing the narrator. We bagged out his performance style, in which he used his eyebrows a lot. Reviewing the soundtrack album, one newspaper music critic was scathing of his singing abilities, saying that he sounded like he was "gargling sand."

I liked a couple of her songs back in the late 1980s, but I have never been a fan of Madonna. This is the only Madonna movie I've seen. Along with these issues, it made sitting through this film a real chore.

It seemed to drag on forever. I repeatedly discreetly checked my watch. Eva Peron died of cancer, which is sad, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Even so, as I fidgeted in my seat, I thought to myself, "Hurry up and die. I want to go home." That sounds terrible, doesn't it?

Somehow the movie was both a commercial and critical success. I admit, I bought the soundtrack CD because it was on clearance at another store that was one of Brashs competitors. I haven't listened to it for years. Perhaps I will the next time I feel like a laugh.

2 comments:

Dina Roberts said...

That's really dark, but kind of funny (wanting to rush the death so the movie would be over).

I've been that way during movies and plays before.

I do love the music from Evita, though...including Antonio Bandera's voice.

Ross said...

I have a dark sense of humour.

When researching this post, I was surprised to read that Antonio Banderas has a musical background.