Customer Reviews

Cirque du Soleil - Alegria: An Enchanting Fable

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

Before buying this movie, I read everything I could to see if it was worth it. This is not a filming of the stage version of Alegria, this is a movie that was originally built around it and then took a very different direction. If you are looking for "standard Cirque," this is not the place to find it. Cirque du Soleil often goes beyond fans' expectations, and this is one more case. The movie is well done, though not appropriate for very young children. It is a simple love story, but with dark undertones. Rene Bazinet is excellent in the part of Frac, which was written for him. Julie Cox is decent as Giulietta, though I found her a bit flat. And Clipper Miano IS Momo. The movie alone is 4 stars, but with the DVD extras I give it 5.

If you are looking for the spectacle normally associated with the Cirque, bypass this movie. If, however, you are open to the Cirque reinventing itself yet again, this time on film, give this movie a try. It's different, and therefore it isn't for everybody. But it worked for me.

to reinstate other reviewers' comments, this is NOT a Cirque Du Soleil performance... it is a movie ~inspired~ by Alegria; however, i'm disappointed that this is the inspiration they came up with.

the story could have worked the magical/mythical angle of joining the circus as a child -- and the wonder this represents -- but instead the story is dreary... more like children being sold into the circus; there isn't anything etherial about the film -- it's just depressing (inspite of the clown getting the girl).

there is almost none of the performances to grace the movie (there are bonus materials which basically are extended sequences of two 'performances') and -- here's the part that i felt cheated of... the music rarely appeared. the great title song, Alegria, didn't turn up until the VERY end and even then it was abridged!

i LOVE Cirque Du Soleil (why i made the mistake of rushing out to buy it w/o looking at the reviews) and this film captures none of the whimsy, wit, finesse or atmosphere of the performances.

rent it and judge for yourself before buying.

I rate "Alegria" with five stars because it IS Cirque du Soleil and that in itself deserves this rating. I also rate it high as my daughter and I enjoyed the story together, which is magic in its purist form - we are both addicted to anything associated with Cirque du Soleil. The film is probably not worthy of any academy awards (except for the incredible soundtrack composed by the gifted Benoit Jutras), but it is a feel-good movie even with the dark elements shown in the "Cauldron" and the "Flower Factory" scenes. Rene Bazinet is a talented mime and proved that the role of Frac was perfect for him. Giulietta's (played by Julie Cox) expressive eyes revealed sincerity as she showed love for the lost soul of Frac. I also recommend playing the movie with director Franco Dragone's commentary as he explains how the sets and characters evolved out surprising inspirations. Cirque du Soleil once again summons the world of children and adults and cultures together as one.

Those familiar with Cirque Du Soleil's history will know that they had their beginnings in the streets. Those who know Cirque Du Soleil are also aware that they contribute a percentage of all their ticket sales to outreach programs targeting youth in difficulty, especially street kids.
In contrast, those who are only interested in the "performance" aspect of Cirque Du Soleil don't really know them, do they?

The "FEATURE FILM" Alegria is in regular rotation at home and the entire family enjoys it every time we view it. The soundtrack from the movie is also in regular rotation in our CD players.

It is a love story, a social statement, a glimpse into reality through the medium of fantasy, and a movie for the young at heart and those who still have an imagination and passion for living. Those who understand these feelings will be drawn into this movie from the very beginning.

"If you have no voice...Scream
If you have no legs...Run
If you have no hope...Invent"
-Alegria

To those who bought the movie, brought it home, and were disappointed because it is not a "performance", I have only one piece of advice...
If you have no eyes...Read. ;-)

What a magnificent movie. It is a beautiful love story and an intriguing representation of Cirque Du Soleil's message of the actual performance of Alegria. A marvelous ending that is very emotional and is so uplifting that it brings you to tears. It also makes you wish that the world could always work out the way it does in this movie. The portrayal of innocence is very prevalent. It also is a perfect representation of the sacred value of Cirque Du Soleil's Alegria. Please do not go into this movie thinking that you will see a performance of the show, it is not a realistic thing to expect because Cirque Du Soleil has informed me personally that this performance will never be videotaped. The movie is something more intrinsical than a performance although the performance is very powerful in its own right. The acting was excellent and very underrated in my opinion especially in the case of Frank Langella who always has interesting roles, this one was no exception. I loved this movie and will always cherish it. I wish Alegria (happiness) to everyone.

As many others here have previously stated, this is not the actual performance of Alegria (which is incredible, by the way). This is a full movie, a theatrical performance based on Alegria, hence the addition "An Enchanting Fable" on the cover, that contains a few snippets of performances from the show that were modified to advance the plot of this film. That said, do not buy this expecting to see a Cirque show, it is something much more, and in no way warrants a mere "1 star" from bitter people who didn't read the case and thought it was something else.

Alegria, the Film, is exactly as advertised; "An Enchanting Fable". This is not your typical Hollyword trash, it is deep, metaphorical, beautiful, and inspiring. The story is the typical love story you would expect full of discovery, strife, tragedy, and finally redemption. What distinguishes this film is the manner in which said love story is told. This is the world of Cirque du Soleil if it were not combined to merely the stage, this is the emotional essense of the acts we see, if they were part of the actual world. The movie is told in a slightly bent reality, everything is as it should be yet twisted in that typical Cirque style to highlight the emotional themes.

This is an intelligent movie, you won't get the full effect of it if you are unable to interpret its unspoken side; the subtle, unsaid elements including imagery and implied meanings in seemingly normal speech that. On this level, it is a simply amazing film, one of the best I've had the pleasure to view.

If you watch Cirque's live performances to be wowed and dazzled by the acts this movie is not for you. However, if you watch them and enjoy the social commentaries and emotional messages buried within the live shows' themes, this is a must buy. This movie takes the emotional theme the shows, and puts them in a living breathing world with people represented by Cirque characters that could easily be you or anyone you know at a given stage of life.

This is not the live show, but something truely inspired by it that keeps the one of the meanings of that performance alive: Life does goes on, no matter what, and you must go with it.

It is simply a beautiful film.

The breathtaking imagery and vibrant characters of Alegria the live show are abandoned by its director, Franco Dragone, who misguidedly reinvents it from the ground up for this movie. The result is NOT Alegria (only tantalising, tiny glimpses of the live experience are seen). Instead a clumsy "story" is grafted on to its delicate artistry, set in an unconvincing "real" world which blurs rather than expands the boundaries of Cirque Du Soleil.

By introducing new characters far less compelling than the original stage stars (what must they have made of this betrayal?), Dragone seems to have decided to "explain" Alegria's purpose. This is like explaining a joke - the result falls flat, its poetry and clarity of purpose are muddied - or worse, articulated by characters not so much conversing as making speeches to each other. Thus the skills of a mime of genius like Rene Bazinet are fatally compromised.

One of the strengths of the show Alegria was that its language was that of athletic and balletic grace, equisite mime and haunting music. There was no dialogue, which freed it from political boundaries. This is why the show was a huge international hit and this movie was not.

Here the engaging grotesques are firmly separated from ourselves, the audience. The twilight magical world we thought they occupied is revealed to be the cheap side of town. They speak dialogue with little wit or poetry. There is a half hearted attempt to design a skewed reality outside the Big Top but the magic is overwhelmed by a welter of bad ideas and sugary emotion and lovers of Alegria the show are underwhelmed as a result.

Truly this should not have been released under the same title.

I'm a big Cirque fan so I just knew I would love it, guesswhat...I did! I'm not going to say it is the best movie ever, but ifyou love Cirque du Soleil, you gotta see this movie. Its not like the Quidam movie where it only shows the actual show. Alegria, the movie, is a movie. I was breathless the entire moving watching the wonders of Cirque du Soleil. If you're reading this, that means that you probably like Cirque or know someone who does. I would recommend this movie to any Cirque fan!

"Alegria", inspired by (but not the same as) the Cirque the Soleil show of the same name, is an attractive but unfortunately cliched story of love and hope. A young boy, Momo, who is forced into virtual slavery with other super-cute multi-national children, befriends a down-and-out street performer named Frank. Frank falls in love with Julietta, the star of the "Alegria" show that happens to be playing nearby. Frank and Julietta's romance causes some upheaval in the Cirque ranks, but in the end the two free the children from bondage, re-unite Cirque, and everyone lives happily ever after.

"Alegria" the movie has the same beautiful visual style and air of romance found in Cirque shows. However, as a movie it fails in many ways. The plot is every bit as simple and obvious as described above. Likely the creators of the movie wanted to tell a timeless fable, but their execution is so heavy-handed and saccharine (especially in regards to those too-cute children) that it's difficult to take the movie seriously. Perhaps children and those who adore anything with cute kids will like it, but I feel most discerning viewers will find it as disappointing as I did.

If you absolutely love Cirque or super-cute kids, you may consider getting this DVD anyways. It's nice to see scenes from the "Alegria" Cirque show (my favorite Cirque), the movie isn't so bad that it's painful, and the DVD does have some nice extra features. Note to one reviewer below -- I did review it as a movie and not as Cirque, so please withhold rating a movie until after you've seen it.

One of my favorite photographs is of a little old lady walking with cane, eating a huge cone of cotton candy. "Alegria" reminds me of that photo: in a dreary world, there is cotton candy and the joy of a moment which is beautiful, engaging, filled with awareness.

No, the plot isn't much. And no, the dialogue is pretty mundane at times ("How do you feel?" "Happy and sad at the same time." "That means you're in love".) But what is captivating is the allegory and the symbolism: the constant interplay between real and fantasy, between good and bad, between love and loneliness, between childhood and maturity, between good and evil.

To experience this, one has to be able to accept the film in and of itself: the music, the cinematography, the narrative sequence. No, it's not a stage performance, and no it isn't a 'movie'. It is a complete and unified emotional and artistic experience, and it's wonderful.