It’s been a long time since I saw Evita — in fact, I can’t remember if I’ve ever sat through the whole film? — but this was Madonna’s passion project, a role for which she lobbied hard and underwent intense vocal training, and she was gunning hard for mainstream acting success. Accordingly, for the premiere she used her innate theatricality for some Eva Peron-style glamour rather than Madonna-style provocation, and honestly, the result was pretty breathtaking and makes you wonder what she could have done at all those recent Met Galas if she weren’t so hell-bent on grasping at hipness.
