Evita - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Let me say this film is engrossing IF and its a big if,you can stay with it.I have 2 major issues with it.First,I HATE in the action but not really there narrators.Second its NOT a musical but a opera.Now  Antonio Banderas is fine as Ché,the narrator or maybe its a shout out to that cuban revolutionary Guevara,doesn't matter,its just annoys me. Opera is NOT a traditional musical but a whole movie of"sung"dialogue unlike the traditional broadway musical you might think your going to see as its based on such a "musical".So casting Madonna     as Eva Perón was brilliant.So these two major irritants plus the 135 minute length and a incoherent history of true Peronist politics forces me to take 1 and 1/2 stars off.However this 1996 release scores well in the capturing of the post war feel of the 40's and 50's as well as any film since"Godfather"truly well crafted for effect. Shedding enough light on this period of Argentine politics is also a plus as I hope you'll want to know much more and the period and the Perón's life.It's not what you may have hoped for but its a decent enough film if you give it a chance.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

High-flying, adored! The film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical depicting the infamous real-life story of Eva "Evita" Duarte de Peron, the wife of President Juan Peron, who rose from poverty to become the most famous Argentine woman in history. Her huge political influence and constant charity works earned her scorn and fear from the military and upper classes but adoration and love from the workers and descamisados. Evita's legendary life is displayed before your eyes as the most hated and most beloved woman in Argentina. Written by O.G.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXwvM0kQrw0