Madonna: Innocence Lost

While purporting to document the rise of the Material Girl with an intimate look at her early, lean years, this 90-minute telefilm offers little worth watching, some strong acting notwithstanding. From a historical perspective its shortcomings are legion; as a drama, it fares no better.

Scripter Michael Murray, basing his work on an unauthorized bio by Christopher Andersen, fails to create a compelling drama or likable characters.

He instead weaves a plodding tale that is steeped in revisionist history and tabloid viewpoints. Those tangentially familiar with Madonna’s real life story will view this spec with a jaundiced eye, while fans will find holes big enough to drive a tour bus through. After Madonna (Terumi Matthews) spends her first night in the big city on a park bench surrounded by the town’s homeless, hookers and hopefuls, showbiz’s shine is quickly tarnished for her. But resolved to succeed, the soon-to-be star suffers through a gaggle of unglamorous jobs, nude modeling sessions and failed romances in pursuit of her goal.

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A series of cattle-call auditions is unimaginatively used to communicate to viewers how hard the road ahead will be for Madonna, and how she has defied the odds.

Visually, Matthews is a ringer for Madonna, and her portrayal conveys the sense that, like the pop icon, she has a take-no-prisoners attitude.

Madonna’s stubbornness and her reluctance to acquiesce to others’ demands are already well-documented. Yet Murray hammers these traits home, and in the process unwisely creates an unlikable lead character, unworthy — and undesiring — of viewer support. The linear story offers no subplots, and characters come and go so quickly that none of them is given time to forge an identity.

Even the talented Dean Stockwell, who plays Madonna’s dad, is hamstrung by the material. The actor manages nonetheless to eke out a well-defined reading.

Despite the script’s flaws, Matthews succeeds at keeping Murray’s Madonna realistic and earns a high-five for her efforts. Matthews’ acting skill bolsters the otherwise pedestrian tale, and should help hold viewers.

Director Bradford May guides Matthews into risk-taking territory and pulls it off. Despite the lackluster material, the majority of the telefilm’s players deliver the goods under his guidance.

May’s cinematography pinpoints the music biz’s seamy underbelly and gets Toronto to take on much of the Big Apple’s grit and grime.

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