Greatest Social Climber Since Cinderella.

EVITA (1996)

One thing you probably don't know about me: I have a very large soft spot for musicals. Blame it on New York and the proximity to Broadway, but there you have it. Another thing you're going to need to know is that I practically grew up on Evita, so like many movies we see and idolize as young kids, this one has a place in my heart. But how could it not? Madonna. Jonathan Pryce. Antonio Banderas (and this is the 90s, so you know he was good). And the music! Even daydreaming about it and I know it'll be stuck in my head for the rest of the week. Oh, right, the plot. That. Here's the thing--I don't know anything about Evita Duarte. Or Argentina in the 1940s. So for all I know, this could be political mashed potatoes. However, Evita still makes a damn good movies about a strong female protagonist with less than savory means of getting exactly what she wants. Love her or hate her, Evita is a compelling character, and Madonna holds her own playing the manipulative leader. Which is impressive, considering the fact that on the other end of the boxing ring stands Antonio Banderas, playing none other than Che Guevara. It's a cast of powerful characters and powerful actors, neither of which are bound to leave your memory any time soon. 

The thing about Evita is that it's an old-school musical/movie. Which means this: they don't pepper in a couple songs here and there when it seems like a good time to sing. The music to dialogue ratio in this film is like putting an elephant up against a mouse--it's just not a fair fight. Some might like that, other might find it out of place--I personally am a sucker for musical movies that don't stop singing. Lastly, I have to give a shout out to Jonathan Pryce. From Brazil (1985) to Carrington and somehow he still lands roles like "the old, boring dad in Pirates Of The Caribbean." He's an extraordinarily talented and underrated actor, and definitely holds his own in Evita. Not to mention, he's got a gorgeous voice. So, if you're looking for a little music in your life and want to learn some history while you're at it, I highly recommend checking this one out. Just don't put it on me if you wake up rolling your rs. 

Made-For-TV Audiobook.

CARRINGTON (1995)

Carrington is not a movie. It may look like a movie, it may talk like a movie, and it may quack like a movie, but it is not a movie. If you treat it like a movie, you'll get impatient, bored, and confused. Its a novel masquerading as a movie. Carrington traces through the lives of two prominent members of the Bloomsbury Group, a sect of British intellectuals in the early 20th century. It follows the story of Dora Carrington (Emma Thompson) who falls in love with author Lytton Strachey (Jonathan Pryce). One problem: Dora is considered something of damaged goods to be a virgin at her age and Lytton is gay. Their marriage is unorthodox from start to finish as they continuously invite others into their house and bed, yet anyone would be hard pressed to find two people quite as devoted to each other as Dora and Lytton. 

The actors hold their own--Emma Thompson is fantastic and plays beautifully off of the brilliant Jonathan Pryce. The script is untamable, but carries a lot of compassion for its main characters who you can't help but fall in love with. As a film, Carrington doesn't hold up well. It's too long, there's not enough plot, and it has the apperance of being all over the place. However, once I settled into the fact that it was more of a novel than a movie, I was able to let the characters run free at their own pace. I put it down for the night when I felt it wearing a little thin, then picked it up and resumed the next day, ready to explore the next chapter of these characters' lives. In short, Carrington is bit of a tedious movie, but a stellar audiobook.