Great movie!
Was surprised with Pavarotti's acting. He did a great job on this film. It was a cute movie.
shareI guess you and I are the only one that think so. Just to watch him sing at the end the full arida was worth it.
shareNope, you're not the only ones. I just submitted a comment above, not sure how long it takes to post. I saw this when it first came out in 82 and loved it.
shareEven Pavaroti Hated this movie. He said it was "terrible".
shareArrividechi, Pavarotti...
shareWell, I don't remember EVER hearing that he hated this movie- and I followed his career like a true fan. I DO KNOW that I became an opera singer & met him because of this movie.
and I thought his acting was just fine. Like I said in my review... if you were expecting Spencer Tracy, then YOU are deluded. After all, could Tracy have come as close as Pavarotti in HIS field of expertise? Or to put it another way, could any actor have sung as well as Pavarotti ACTED?
God bless Turner Classic Movies for airing this the other night... I've been dying to see it for a long time. TCM is a class act. So was Pavarotti.
His acting was fine, his singing magnificiant. I could have done without the attempt at a Laurel & Hardy pie fight....wasn't there a better way to do the scene than have two mature people engage in a food fight ? I wish a better script had been ironed out, but this isn't half as bad as I always have been told.
Oh Lord, you gave them eyes but they cannot see...
I am glad that you see his acting was fine- he did as good as job as any other professional who goes into acting from another career.
I also agree his singing was fabulous! The food fight scene was just a bit of playful fun- and yeah- it probably could've been done better. But then this movie isn't a serious one and despite some serious moments, it's just a bit of frolic for fans of Pavarotti. I would agree the script could've been better, even so, I still laugh at certain parts and enough the whole.
I am also glad and proud too that MGM spent the $ to make this movie. Now that Pav is no longer with us, we have his fun, youthful spirit and glorious singing preserved.
But this movie is NOT the horrible movie some would have you believe. There ARE worse pictures out there. :)
Yes, there are far worse films and the film is worth watching only to see Pavarotti perform and especially to hear his voice. He has real and genuine screen presence in the scenes where he is singing and it made me wish that I could have seen him actually perform a full opera in person. It is good to have this record of him performing. He also could hold his own in scenes where he was not singing. It really does not deserve the legend of being a total turkey.
Oh Lord, you gave them eyes but they cannot see...
The fault in the Spencer Tracy/Luciano Pavarotti reasoning given above is that Tracy knew where his talent was, and wasn't fool enough to try to pass himself off as an opera singer. Pavarotti, unfortunately, didn't have that much sense. That said, it isn't so much that his acting is bad. It's actually okay. Harrold, Albert, and the other 'real' actors also do a fine job, but that doesn't save the movie. It's the writing and the direction that make this thing a massive turkey.
shareTo each his own, as I'm more annoyed by the hamming of the "real" actors in this movie (though I love how hysterically over-the-top Beulah Quo and James Hong are) than Pavarotti's game effort. Agreed that the writing in particular is a tremendous flaw, however. Still, there are *far* worse and less coherent films out there that enjoy much better reputations.
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