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Diva (1981)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:40
Fresh:38
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8/10
Consensus: Beineix combines unique cinematography, an intelligent script, and a brilliant soundtrack to make Diva a stylishly memorable film.
Theatrical Release:Nov 2, 2007 Limited
Synopsis: DIVA is a charming French original that combines intrigue, romance and a delirious soundtrack in a visually stunning and stylish debut from Jean-Jacques Beineix. Frederic Andrei stars as Jules, a... DIVA is a charming French original that combines intrigue, romance and a delirious soundtrack in a visually stunning and stylish debut from Jean-Jacques Beineix. Frederic Andrei stars as Jules, a postal courier obsessed with Cynthia Hawkins (Wilhelmenia Wiggins) an international opera star who refuses to be recorded, much to the dismay of her adoring public. Jules' passion for the opera diva's angelic soprano leads him to smuggle a recorder into a sold-out Parisian performance to commit her voice to tape. He privately enjoys his recording until he shares his secret with a new friend (Thuy An Luu) and simultaneously finds himself at the center of an international drug and sex scandal and a pirating operation that will do anything to get hold of his precious tape. Suddenly Jules becomes engulfed in scandal and must fight to stay one step ahead of the policemen and high-tech hitmen who are chasing him. Dizzying chase scenes are masterfully shot, culminating in a heart-pounding motorcycle chase through the underground Paris Metro. Jean-Jacques Beineix composes each shot like a still photograph, exploring the visual dichotomy between the high-tech disco aesthetic of 1980s Paris and the classic beauty of Cynthia's opera and the ancient city. The brilliant best-selling soundtrack highlights each stylish frame. DIVA is based on the novel by Delacorta. [More]
Starring: Fredric Andrei, Wilhelmenia Wiggins, Richard Bohringer, Thuy An Luu
Starring: Fredric Andrei, Wilhelmenia Wiggins, Richard Bohringer, Thuy An Luu, Jacques Fabbri, Dominique Pinon, Roland Bertin
Director: Jean-Jacques Beineix
Director: Jean-Jacques Beineix
Screenwriter: Jean-Jacques Beineix
Composer: Charles Gounod
Studio: Rialto Pictures
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Reviews for Diva
The movie’s a maelstrom of possibilities touching ethnic relations, high art, fashion and modern morality, not to mention cinema.
Director Jean Jacques-Beineix's pop art pastiche is a glittering mix of artifice and genuine cool with its intricate yet effortless thriller plot enacted by some of the screen's most individual and eccentric characters; its combination of playful sexiness
Jean-Jacques Beniex's bold experiment is worth a place of importance in cinematic history.
...back upon its original 1981 release, it was a true 'wow,' a filmic equivalent of the post-punk new wave music scene that was current.
As with so many pop moments a quarter-century on, what once looked sexy now smells a little sexist.
Diva, as a lifestyle, a fantasy, a model for alienation and solipsism and eccentricity, has gone deep into all of us.
--- a drama/thriller that is also quite funny ---this is the first film in which I truly realized the importance of cinematography.
The chase through the Paris Metro tunnels is as fascinating as anything put on celluloid.
Had Wile E. Coyote chased Jean-Luc Godard, the result might have been Diva.
A light-headed, fleet-footed French caper, Jean-Jacques Beineix's ultra-stylish Diva stormed the art houses when it was released in 1982, and it's still a lot of fun now -- though its hip patina feels more quaint these days than cool.
Beineix choreographs the actors and the camera into a stunning and stylish cinematic dance... This is not a musical in the strict sense of the word but it certainly feels like one in the way it moves.
... Beineix directs with a visual cleverness and a witty playfulness that tells the audience to hang back and have fun.
One of the most exciting feature debuts, Beineix's film is a rare work, generic yet personal, arty and commercial, an exquisitely shot and edited picture that reminds us why we fell in love with movies in the first place.
Diva remains terrific after all this time. The visuals are beautifully composed; the action scenes ... still work; and the performances are all spot-on... .
Made with wit and humor, this French stunner abounds in the go-for-broke spirit of a first film made by a talented, nervy director.
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November 01, 2007:
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