Evita (1996)

So if you know anything about the history of the rise of Perón in Argentina, and/or have seen the excellent theatrical performance of Rice and Lloyd Webber's "Evita" then you will already have the basis for this really rather poor big screen adaptation of both. Madonna is not much of an actress and though her voice manages the songs well enough, her on-screen persona here just falls flat. She is not helped much by a poorly cast Jonathan Pryce as her president - and frankly rather insipid - husband and by the terribly wooden Jimmy Nail as journeyman singer "Magaldi". Perhaps only Antonio Banderas salvages anything from his authentic characterisation of the narrator "Ché" - but otherwise this is a good looking but lacklustre, episodically constructed, series of musical set-pieces that creates an overall feeling of - well, emptiness. Madonna's efforts fail to ignite any sense of the magnetism of this astonishing woman who went from brothel to Presidential palace in such a short time; it pays scant regard to the ruthless (and venal) nature of the prevailing politics of Argentina and in the end proves to be little more than a compendium of good/great songs set to well attired and produced videos. Some things are better left to the stage - and this is certainly one of those!