Catalani's opera La Wally has one of the most beautiful arias for a soprano, "Ebben ne andro lontano", which also serves as a theme for this 1981 film we saw when it first came out. The one thing it did was something akin to what happened when Jonathan Demme's "Philadelphia" showcased the aria "La mamma morta", because a lot of non operatic music lovers turn to get recordings featuring the immortal music that have delighted music lovers for ages. Not having seen it since its release, we recently took another look at this satisfying picture.
"Diva" is basically a clever thriller in which an elusive soprano, Cynthia Hawkins, is reluctant to make recordings. Because she is such a rarity in our modern world, Ms. Hawkins' disregard to share her vocal gifts with the public at large, elicit all kinds of illegal recordings because ardent fans will go to whatever extreme necessary to capture her voice for their own pleasure, or perhaps to sell it to unscrupulous merchants for a profit.
Jules, the intense young man, is seen going to the recital Cynthia Hawkins is offering. He has a hidden recording device. There are two Chinese men that are also interested in getting their hands in the material; they will stop at nothing to get what they want. When Jules meets Nadia, an adventurous young woman, she brings Jules to meet Gorodish, a strange man she has been living with. The trio go into an adventure that will take them all over Paris trying to protect Jules' treasure from falling in the wrong hands.
After gaining Cynthia's friendship, Jules confesses he is the one responsible for stealing her gown from the recital, something that elates her because she finds the young man's attention flattering. What's more, she has never heard her recorded voice, something that only Jules will help remedy.
This was Jean-Jacques Beineix's second film. We thought that after "Diva" became such an international hit, he would go to bigger things, but alas, nothing happened. His other films have not done as well. In fact, with the exception of "Betty Blue", we have not seen any of his other films. The director contributed to the adaptation of the film.
Frederic Andrei is a personable actor that kept reminding us of Jean-Pierre Leaud, perhaps a comparison to other movie watchers. Evidently, Mr. Andrei decided to go for a television career, something one wouldn't have expected based on his appearance in this movie. Richard Bohringer and Chantal Deruaz make good contributions to the enjoyment of the film. Wilhemina Fernandez Wiggins, a singer in her own right, appears as the gorgeous goddess-like figure of Cynthia Hawkins.
"Diva" is basically a clever thriller in which an elusive soprano, Cynthia Hawkins, is reluctant to make recordings. Because she is such a rarity in our modern world, Ms. Hawkins' disregard to share her vocal gifts with the public at large, elicit all kinds of illegal recordings because ardent fans will go to whatever extreme necessary to capture her voice for their own pleasure, or perhaps to sell it to unscrupulous merchants for a profit.
Jules, the intense young man, is seen going to the recital Cynthia Hawkins is offering. He has a hidden recording device. There are two Chinese men that are also interested in getting their hands in the material; they will stop at nothing to get what they want. When Jules meets Nadia, an adventurous young woman, she brings Jules to meet Gorodish, a strange man she has been living with. The trio go into an adventure that will take them all over Paris trying to protect Jules' treasure from falling in the wrong hands.
After gaining Cynthia's friendship, Jules confesses he is the one responsible for stealing her gown from the recital, something that elates her because she finds the young man's attention flattering. What's more, she has never heard her recorded voice, something that only Jules will help remedy.
This was Jean-Jacques Beineix's second film. We thought that after "Diva" became such an international hit, he would go to bigger things, but alas, nothing happened. His other films have not done as well. In fact, with the exception of "Betty Blue", we have not seen any of his other films. The director contributed to the adaptation of the film.
Frederic Andrei is a personable actor that kept reminding us of Jean-Pierre Leaud, perhaps a comparison to other movie watchers. Evidently, Mr. Andrei decided to go for a television career, something one wouldn't have expected based on his appearance in this movie. Richard Bohringer and Chantal Deruaz make good contributions to the enjoyment of the film. Wilhemina Fernandez Wiggins, a singer in her own right, appears as the gorgeous goddess-like figure of Cynthia Hawkins.