I am a big fan of the music of the "Queen of Pop", I had seen her acting in films, with only two or three good enough to mention, but I was fascinated to see a film with her being herself on and off stage, directed by Alek Keshishian (Bobby Brown: "My Prerogative", Elton John: "Sacrifice", Savage Garden: "Hold Me"). Basically, it follows pop star and entertainer Madonna on and off stage during her controversial Blonde Ambition tour in 1990. It started out as a traditional film featuring the stage performances and songs, but the backstage events are focused perhaps more than this. The onstage performances are all in colour, and the offstage moments are all in black-and-white. Onstage, Madonna performs hit songs including "Express Yourself", "Like a Virgin", "Holiday", "Live to Tell", "Vogue", "Papa Don't Preach", and "Like a Prayer". Backstage throughout the tour, Madonna is seen praying with her backing singers and dancers before every show. The tour starts in Tokyo, Japan, where Madonna is joined by her then-boyfriend actor Warren Beatty, before returning to America. In Los Angeles there are sound problems and music industry people in the front rows. After the show, she is seen meeting with various celebrities, including Al Pacino, Mandy Patinkin, Olivia Newton-John, Lionel Richie, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Matt Dillon. Kevin Costner offends her saying the show was "neat" and pretending to gag before leaving. In Toronto, local police threaten to arrest Madonna for "lewd and indecent display", specifically simulating masturbation during her performance "Like a Virgin", but she refuses to change the show. In Detroit, Madonna's hometown, she spends time with her father, Silvio Ciccone aka "Tony", during his birthday, his wife Joan is there as well. Madonna also meets with her brother Christopher Ciccone who talks with her about the substance abuse problems their other brother Martin is having. She reunites with her "childhood idol" Moira McFarland-Messana, who gives her a painting she made, and asks Madonna to be godmother to her baby. Before leaving Detroit, Madonna visits her mother's grave for the first time since she was a little girl, she lays beside the headstone while Christopher watches from a distance. As the tour continues, Madonna's throat problems worsen while Warren Beatty has become fed up with the cameras and has broken up with her. Madonna has examinations which she refuses to have done on camera, and her continuing throat problems force her to cancel shows. In New York, she is isolated in her apartment with only her assistant Melissa Crowe, she gets upset that has no contact with the dancers due to the doctors instructions for her not to talk. The third and final leg of the tour kicks off in Europe, with Madonna's voice back, but Pope John Paul II trying to ban her forces one of the shows to be cancelled in Rome. She meets with her actress friend Sandra Bernhard and mentions her interest in meeting Spanish actor Antonio Banderas. At a party in Madrid thrown by Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar, Madonna wants to seduce Banderas, but he is married. Towards the end of the tour, the group play Truth or Dare, during which Madonna is dared to perform a blowjob on a glass bottle, and she confesses that she still loves Sean Penn (her ex-husband). When the tour is over, Madonna says goodbye to her dancers and backing singers, and tells director Alek Keshishian to go away. With appearances by Donna DeLory, Niki Haris, Luis Camacho, Oliver Crumes Jr., Salim Gauwloos, Kevin Alexander Stea, Gabriel Trupin, and Carlton Wilborn. I agree with critics that Madonna is completely aware of the camera and is not completely natural, but there are some interesting moments between her and the crew, with her encounter with Costner and the appearances of an uncomfortable Beatty being highlights, and obviously the music and performances onstage are entertaining, all in all it is a watchable documentary. Madonna was number 12 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols, she was number 2 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, and she was number 4 on The Ultimate Pop Star, Like a Prayer was number 8 on The 100 Greatest Albums, and "Like a Prayer" was number 13 on The 100 Greatest Number One Singles. Good!
Review of Madonna: Truth or Dare
