1 minute ago, Donna said:

Yeah, Madonna didn't just "pose" in Evita.  That's just a ridiculous thing to say and I can't fathom how a fan really can make such a claim. I mean; I will be the first to admit Madonna isn't a great actress, but there are certain elements to her being an actress just doesn't work, while she is able to visually be convincing. That isn't anything ANYONE can do.  Like mentioned, there is something about her speaking that doesn't connect with me when she's acting.  Certainly, it's more convincing if it's more to whom she is. For instance, Truth or Dare or in DSS.  Both those films, required her to play up to whom she was at the time. Was there acting involved?  Yes! In both films. Even Alek will say Madonna was hamming it up on film to produce more juice.  But that's because she's better at usually improvising.  Once you give her a specific line, in a lot of cases, she comes off more stiff and wooden.  We saw a lot of that in her film Body Of Evidence. You can tell she was trying very hard in being a character that you'd think would be easy for her to play, but she was trying too hard at it.

With Evita, she seemed more at ease and yes, a lot of it is because the acting she had to do was more visual while miming the words she already recorded, but to me that is far more harder to do than just delivery lines while filming.  Why?  Because you have to capture an emotion that you already recorded vocally possibly weeks if not months ago.  That isn't easy to do. She had to make sure that what she was visually portraying, the same emotions visually would fit the emotions of the vocals she had already recorded.

I think Madonna's problem was self fulfilled prophecy. She did great in Susan, was a hit. Shanhai she said her lines convincingly but the film was AWFUL. Strike 1. Who's that Girl was ALRIGHT...i get mixed reactions some love it some hate it. Dick Tracy she did great in, it was a hit so was A Legue of their Own. She did amazing and it was a hit....then came Body of Evidence which was the real death blow. People could just blankly say she's awful and it stuck so she became SO hyper aware that any role she got after you could just see in her eyes fear. Sadly i think Evita being a musical helped but she kept picking the worst movies. In a world where she didnt walk out on Music of the Heart, Chicago, or the Matrix her few flops would've been forgotten and we mightve had her sticking to acting vs music.

1 minute ago, Alpha said:

I think Madonna's problem was self fulfilled prophecy. She did great in Susan, was a hit. Shanhai she said her lines convincingly but the film was AWFUL. Strike 1. Who's that Girl was ALRIGHT...i get mixed reactions some love it some hate it. Dick Tracy she did great in, it was a hit so was A Legue of their Own. She did amazing and it was a hit....then came Body of Evidence which was the real death blow. People could just blankly say she's awful and it stuck so she became SO hyper aware that any role she got after you could just see in her eyes fear. Sadly i think Evita being a musical helped but she kept picking the worst movies. In a world where she didnt walk out on Music of the Heart, Chicago, or the Matrix her few flops would've been forgotten and we mightve had her sticking to acting vs music.

No doubt, you are onto something.  Shanghai definitely was a blow to her acting, but like you pointed out I really didn't feel she acted bad in it. It was just unfortunately an awful film. As for WTG, the whole film was just a complete farce and over the top, so of course it got panned. But again, I love how she portrayed Niki Finn. It was all over the place. Many alter egos going on in that role, but it was still fun and her character was just very loveable. You still rooted for her and still enjoyed yourself watching the film, even though I know for me, I rolled my eyes at some of the ridiculous nonsense that happened in the film.

Then came Dick Tracy and this is when I felt she was trying to show desperately she can act. Sure, she pulled it off, but if you really listen to some of her lines, it comes off a bit shaky to me.  Luckily, the film had a lot of outlandish characters played by a lot of famous actors that her part while played a key role in the film, we were able to take even her shaky scenes as her character being vulnerable.  Once again with A League.... she was with such an ensemble cast, that her parts were reduce to be zany and comical that people were able to buy it. Though I still certain times that she looked like she was uncomfortable delivering her lines such as when she was crying in the dug out or when she tried to joke about her bosoms falling out of her outfit. It just didn't seem very convincing.  Then as with BOE, I actually liked the film and liked her character but the way she would deliver her lines, just seemed too harsh and stiff.

Then there is Snake Eyes/Dangerous Game.  Wow!  It was the first time I've seen her act her ass off. Unfortunately the film was just a mess and uninteresting except for the film they were actually making in the movie. 

Evita came and it was her savior because she could fall back on how she approached acting in her music videos. Still, there was a lot she still had to put into it to pull it off.  I think the fact she didn't try to pull rank and let Alan Parker direct her, she came off very well.

Another film I liked with her is The Next Best Thing, but again the lighting and some of her lines were just poorly delivered.  I also loved her part in Arthur and The Invisible.  While it was just her voice, it worked for me. 

Still, is she a good actress, not really but she's had her moments.  Evita was definitely one of them.  DSS was her simply playing herself at the time and Truth or Dare was exciting because again she was just playing an embellished version of who she was at the time, reacting and improvising to things happening in her life and on tour.

On 6/20/2024 at 12:09 PM, Piksel8 said:

In a way, i think the softer Eva image suited Madonna better especially when she rebranded herself 360 after Erotica and Bedtime stories.

I totally agree

Just now, Donna said:

if you really listen to some of her lines, it comes off a bit shaky to me

I agree

17 minutes ago, Donna said:

she looked like she was uncomfortable delivering her lines such as when she was crying in the dug out or when she tried to joke about her bosoms falling out of her outfit. It just didn't seem very convincing

Yes. She's never funny when she's supposed to be funny. Like all her SNL appearances

2 minutes ago, Donna said:

Then there is Snake Eyes/Dangerous Game.  Wow!  It was the first time I've seen her act her ass off.

Finally! I absolutely agree

I dare to say that she was good in Swept Away. And in retrospect she was not so bad in Who's That Girl. Body of Evidence was tragic, the entire film. Her performance was robotic and cold while her look/wardrobe were terrible, but the other actors were awful too. I think she was channeling Dietrich's Witness for the Prosecution. She made a fool of herself and was funny when it was not intended; the candle scene was lame and laughable and the line: "That's what I do, I fuck" was appalling. But her worst film ever was "Shangai surprise", I couldn't finished it. Dick Tracy was a bore beyond belief, but she comes off as a very convincing Marlene Dietrich (again), meaning she is a stunning presence but nothing else in that film. She actually steals the film, overshadowing the other actors.

14 minutes ago, Gonzus said:

I dare to say that she was good in Swept Away. And in retrospect she was not so bad in Who's That Girl. Body of Evidence was tragic, the entire film, her performance was robotic and cold while her look/wardrobe were terrible, She made a fool of herself and was funny whe she wasn't supposed to; the candle scene was lame and  laughable and the line: "That's what I do, I fuck" was appalling. But her worst film ever was "Shangai surprise", I couldn't finished it. Dick Tracy was a bore beyond belief, but she comes off as a very convincing Marlene Dietrich, meaning she is a stunning presence but nothing else. 

Shanghai is definitely the worst thing she's ever done. I love Body of Evidence and it has replay value. Swept Away just feels very much a lifetime movie. I can rewatch it not be offended by it but Shaghai...ugh. like seriously.

I still stand by what i said A League of their Own being he best acting. I think if she EVER wants to dabble in acting again...if EVER...she should do something with Ryan Murphy. His stuff is SO campy that she would definitely fit in but his stuff also isnt disrespectful and definitely wouldnt serve as a vehicle just to mock her. 

49 minutes ago, Gonzus said:

I dare to say that she was good in Swept Away. And in retrospect she was not so bad in Who's That Girl. Body of Evidence was tragic, the entire film, her performance was robotic and cold while her look/wardrobe were terrible, She made a fool of herself and was funny whe she wasn't supposed to; the candle scene was lame and  laughable and the line: "That's what I do, I fuck" was appalling. But her worst film ever was "Shangai surprise", I couldn't finished it. Dick Tracy was a bore beyond belief, but she comes off as a very convincing Marlene Dietrich, meaning she is a stunning presence but nothing else. 

I agree on swept away. Her acting was good. Too good that it repulsed audience and critics during the first half of the movie. The character was a total bitch at the beginning after all. I tolerated watching it, and to my amazement, she didn't sound like she was reading her lines and sounded more genuine.

1 minute ago, Piksel8 said:

The character was a total bitch at the beginning

Until the character becomes her real self. 

1 hour ago, Alpha said:

Shanghai is definitely the worst thing she's ever done. I love Body of Evidence and it has replay value. Swept Away just feels very much a lifetime movie. I can rewatch it not be offended by it but Shaghai...ugh. like seriously.

I still stand by what i said A League of their Own being he best acting. I think if she EVER wants to dabble in acting again...if EVER...she should do something with Ryan Murphy. His stuff is SO campy that she would definitely fit in but his stuff also isnt disrespectful and definitely wouldnt serve as a vehicle just to mock her. 

The craziest thing, I still stomach Shanghai because she looks so beautiful and is very endearing in that film. The chemistry between her and Sean really shines in that film. It's just too bad the story is crap.  There is an adventure film in there that could have been great for them, but it just wasn't a good story.

I always felt The Next Best Thing was the "lifetime" feel movie. While entertaining once they got on the island, the acting in Swept Away from her before that was over the top and just awful.  I think her best acting was in Dangerous Game. Unfortunately, it was a horrible film and she has every right to be disappointed in how that film turned out.

I think she has great comedic value.  This is why WTG and a lot of her SNL appearances worked for me.  I also feel like she can poke fun of herself.  Another stint I enjoyed was her in STAR.  I thought she was hilarious. She really was a sport in doing that as she and Guy took on a lot of stereo stypes in being a Superstar in that short film.

18 hours ago, Gonzus said:

Yes. She's never funny when she's supposed to be funny. Like all her SNL appearances

I disagree. She has a wicked sense of humor.  The problem is; a lot of her humor isn't commercial, so for anyone who is basic, I can see why they don't get it.  

On 6/19/2024 at 10:23 PM, Piksel8 said:

If I recall, there were times Madonna suggested to change things or lyrics to certain songs and they told her NO.

She literally made them change Another Suitcase in Another Hall from Peron's girlfriend to Eva's song just so she'd have another solo lol

I honestly HATE reading people say Evita is a very long music video. It's not only ignorant towards sung through musicals but it's something that the critics said back in 96 and people just keep repeating like parrots til this day. I'm surprised to see fans in this group saying this atrocity.

I can't believe no one has mentioned her in my favourite Madonna film... Bloodhounds of Broadway. She was wonderful in that role and showed some vulnerability and depth in the character she was portraying. That role and the film meant a lot to her, considering what the director was going through and she was really there for him, as I think the rest of the cast and crew were in his final weeks.

Woody Allen, Tarantino, Spike Lee, all worked with her as well later on. Swept Away was the final straw though and I think that really broke her. And that's over 20 years ago. She would be great in so many of the television roles that have come about in those twenty years. But every time she took on a role she has something to prove and that must be a terrible burden for anyone; that everyone has already made their minds up that you're going to fail. Here in the UK, they referred to her as "the plank" because she was so wooden. 

She would've been great in the silent era though; those eyes 💜

On 6/20/2024 at 10:28 AM, Blue Jean said:

While this is a direct quote I’m wondering if it is out of context? Because we know these aspects are what she worked with the director to change about the portrayal from the stage version. This is also one of the reasons Another Suitcase was changed to Madonna, to show the more vulnerable side of the character. It is also probably the intention of You Must Love Me, to show that the relationship between Peron and Eva was genuine and that he took care of her when she was sick. So I don’t believe Andrew was against her interpretation at all as he has always praised her and added YMLM into the stage version. She did afterall spend a lot of time researching her and meeting people that knew her.

And even though Madonna claims Andrew was not nice to her (from the live stream with Diablo Cody) he attended Madame X and I believe likes and respects Madonna. He has gone on record as saying he would love her to do the movie version of Sunset Boulevard.

When you look at the track record of his musicals that have been turned into films Evita is the only one that was a real success.

..'he would love her to do the movie version of Sunset Boulevard'.

23 minutes ago, into the erotico said:

..'he would love her to do the movie version of Sunset Boulevard'.

Oh gosh, and she would rly accept it just for spreading the trollage and meltdowns.

Andrew, Andrew...

Nobody is mentioning Elspeth !

Or  Marie

Or Hortense Hathaway

 

34 minutes ago, EgoRod said:

Or Hortense Hathaway

And Vera, from Die Another Day.

Evita its a wonderful movie. Madonna was great in it and until this day she is still very proud of it. she did a great job. 
 

you can love or hate Evita the person but she was controversial and polarized as Madonna her whole life. The movie treats the Peronism thing as a light topic because the movie its not about Peronism its about Eva Peron. 
 

Madonna knew she got the role right before the Bedtime Story video premier around the first week of march. So her goodbye for her rebel & unapologetic self was Human Nature video. After june 1995 she started a more agressive plan to soften her image to prepare the public for Evita. That included the Something to remember music project and videos. Interviews; appearances. versace campaign. Magazines, etc. A more elegant Madonna. 
 

 

 

18 hours ago, missberic said:

I honestly HATE reading people say Evita is a very long music video. It's not only ignorant towards sung through musicals but it's something that the critics said back in 96 and people just keep repeating like parrots til this day. I'm surprised to see fans in this group saying this atrocity.

I think it stems from her bad public image and fans not wanting to be seen as "blind stans" or like "little monsters" when gaga was popular in 2009 that they over compensate by saying awful things just so they can be like SEE IM NOT BIASED! IM AN ADULT! 

I think the next best thing is the worst film she has been in - just so cringeworthy all the way through - awful film and acting 

On 6/21/2024 at 3:11 PM, Gonzus said:

I dare to say that she was good in Swept Away. And in retrospect she was not so bad in Who's That Girl. Body of Evidence was tragic, the entire film. Her performance was robotic and cold while her look/wardrobe were terrible, but the other actors were awful too. I think she was channeling Dietrich's Witness for the Prosecution. She made a fool of herself and was funny when it was not intended; the candle scene was lame and laughable and the line: "That's what I do, I fuck" was appalling. But her worst film ever was "Shangai surprise", I couldn't finished it. Dick Tracy was a bore beyond belief, but she comes off as a very convincing Marlene Dietrich (again), meaning she is a stunning presence but nothing else in that film. She actually steals the film, overshadowing the other actors.

Well she has not nailed a Good Film and Good acting besides Evita/DSS tbqh

I think DSS is a bit overrated as a film. I watched it again recently and I found it boring, slow, silly and utterly dated. Everybody's gonna hate me for this, but I have to say it. 

50 minutes ago, Gonzus said:

I think DSS is a bit overrated as a film. I watched it again recently and I found it boring and silly. Everybody's gonna hate me for this, but I have to say it. 

I hate you for this