Evita

** out of ****

Save for Madonna’s jewel of a performance as Argentinean idol, Eva Duarte de Perón (for which she received voice lessons and ultimately won a Golden Globe for “Best Actress – Musical/Comedy”), Alan Parker‘s grand scale film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s and Tim Rice’s 1978 musical, “Evita,” is largely underwhelming. Do not get me wrong—I love musicals—but the film’s wall-to-wall songs subvert the power of the narrative. Take a cue from Fosse, please. Most of the songs are forgettable (that might be the songwriters’ faults), but a few are little gems: the delightfully amusing “Goodnight and Thank You,” the unforgettable “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina,” and the heartbreaking ballad, “You Must Love Me” (Oscar winner for “Best Original Song”). Of note, the exquisitely crafted costumes made the Guinness Book of World Records; Madonna, who was pregnant during filming, changed costumes a record eighty-five times. 1996, 136 mins.