A film event inspired by Cirque du Soleil. Alegria is the touching story of Frac (Rene Bazinet), a street mime who has lost all love for his art and life, deciding to end it all by lying in front of an oncoming train. When his 11-year-old friend Momo (Clipper Miano) insists on joining the suicide attempt, Frac must save them both. The train carries a traveling circus, and when it stops, Frac catches sight of Giulietta (Julie Cox), the troupe's beautiful lead singer and performer. Frac falls instantly and rapturously in love, but to pursue Giulietta, he must overcome her father, Fleur (Frank Langella), the circus leader who disapproves of Frac. When Giulietta abandons the troupe to be with Frac and help save Momo from an abusive taskmaster who forces young children to sell flowers on the street, the wonderful cirque falls apart. Realizing that Giulietta must return, she and Frac help Fleur understand that the mission of the cirque is to console a suffering world. The show, like life, must go on. 93 minutes. |
| Actors:
| René Bazinet, Frank Langella, Mako, Julie Cox, Heathcote Williams | | Format:
| AC-3, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Image Entertainment | | Run Time:
| 93 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| March 14, 2000 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 102 reviews |
|
Average Customer Review:
 ( 102 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
49 of 53 found the following review helpful:
 Not what you might expect. That's why I liked it.May 03, 2000
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.
46 of 53 found the following review helpful:
 it is not Cirque Du SoleilApr 27, 2000
By Stresspuppy
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.
28 of 32 found the following review helpful:
WHEN A MOVIE IS NOT A MOVIEApr 11, 2000
By W. Paul Roberts
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.
18 of 20 found the following review helpful:
WARNING: THIS IS A MOVIE...heheheSep 26, 2002
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. ;-)
11 of 12 found the following review helpful:
A Wonderful FilmJan 17, 2001
By Dave
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.
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