The life and career of opera legend Luciano Pavarotti are the subject of this documentary co-produced by the USA and the UK.
The footage of this film includes moments that can easily induce tears. Some of the best include the Three Tenors' 1990 concert (with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras) that followed the FIFA World Cup. Whether singing with his fellow tenors or belting out "Nessun Dorma" as a soloist, Pavarotti's passion was phenomenal and it shows in these excerpts. Another touching moment is a close-up of the legend as he is knowingly singing one of his last performances before his impending death from pancreatic cancer.
While there is fascinating information revealed about Pavarotti's personal history, this film is not as good as it could have been despite the great footage and the grand subject. Compared to the very charming "Maria by Callas" released a couple of years ago, "Pavarotti" seems to stay at the surface and misses opportunities to be as magical as its subject. This sense of lack might have generated a lower rating than the one below but the man himself and his voice (which united heaven and earth) raise the otherwise ordinary film-making to a higher level.
The footage of this film includes moments that can easily induce tears. Some of the best include the Three Tenors' 1990 concert (with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras) that followed the FIFA World Cup. Whether singing with his fellow tenors or belting out "Nessun Dorma" as a soloist, Pavarotti's passion was phenomenal and it shows in these excerpts. Another touching moment is a close-up of the legend as he is knowingly singing one of his last performances before his impending death from pancreatic cancer.
While there is fascinating information revealed about Pavarotti's personal history, this film is not as good as it could have been despite the great footage and the grand subject. Compared to the very charming "Maria by Callas" released a couple of years ago, "Pavarotti" seems to stay at the surface and misses opportunities to be as magical as its subject. This sense of lack might have generated a lower rating than the one below but the man himself and his voice (which united heaven and earth) raise the otherwise ordinary film-making to a higher level.