Highly Overrated But Still Good

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Frankly, I found it quite difficult to sit through this "documentary." Re-enactments and psychobabble mar what could have been a fascinating exploration of a film icon.The genre is one of my favorites, and I have enjoyed attending the IFP Festival in NYC, where documentarians are highlighted. One hopes to come away from a celluloid, biography viewing experience with a better understanding of the subject. This particular production seemed to meander, and fail to provide an insight into the life of the actress. The Biography Channel could have done a more in-depth analysis, which certainly doesn't say much for this production.

As someone who only knew of Carmen Miranda as a caricature in cartoons and a Halloween costume worn by friends, I found this film very enlightening. Whatever might be missing in the film about the deeper details of her life, it is still an eye-opening documentary that at least shines some light on a real person behind the character. I thought this was a very respectful documentary and perhaps purposefully restrained for that reason. Maybe more could have been done, but I for one am glad that at least this much was there for me to see. I have a new respect for Carmen Miranda and find that I'm motivated now to seek more about her on my own.

For starters, I learned much about the Queen of Kiche; also, I learned that she was worthy of a documentary, certainly. Her beginnings in Brazil, her birth in Portugual, this section of the documentary was well done. Clearly this was the strongest section, including how she linked her fame to superfame in the U.S.. She was a Brazilian superstar long before she went to the U.S. Once in the U.S., up she went within weeks, into Celebrity Heaven. But from there, the documentary does become somewhat hazy, creating more questions than it answers. I do agree with one ImDB reviewer: They, like me, wonder how much of a struggle >did< she make, i.e. to break away from the "living cartoon" caricature she'd become by 1944/45? I mean, that was an "out there" demeaning image, and extremely limiting for a singer/dancer. This issue does not come into focus. I found the wistful, spacy narration of the director/producer somewhat pretentious, but at times it worked for me. Yes, I too agree (with another reviewer) that her marriage to the meatheaded producer just rather popped up and hung there. But, I got the impression, that time limitations lock-stepped them into going light on that. She was a serious, family oriented Roman Catholic, and that rules out divorce--and that point is covered. When Ms. Miranda died (1955) divorce wasn't even allowed in major Catholic countries! Dumping Meathead just would have been, to her and family, not an option. Finally, she made choices--she had choices. Some of these are not explained well enough. But, all in all, I don't consider this a weak effort, but a good one. Worth viewing.

A rather one-dimensional treatment of a complex personality, this documentary by Ms. Solberg comes up short. You get the feeling, after watching this film, that you have simply witnessed a Hollywood biography. It is a very clean, and at times vacuous film that doesn't develop Carmen Miranda as much of a character beyond her exploitation in America. It is unfortunate because the film does have some potential. Solberg's rhetorical device and creative narration seem well-suited to a sensitive portrayal of Miranda. Instead, the film dissolves into little more than a formulaic celebrity biography.