Norman Mailer may have come up with the title Advertisements for Myself, but in this case, Madonna is the one who really wrote the book. Truth or Dare, an engaging behind-the-scenes look at the pop star's Blonde Ambition tour, is a feature-film advertisement for herself that Roger Ebert cleverly dubbed "an authorized invasion of privacy." How much of it is calculated and how much of it is genuine, what Madonna chooses to reveal about herself and what she actually reveals in the process, are up to the viewer to decide. Patterned in part after the classic D.A. Pennebaker documentary of Bob Dylan Don't Look Back, the black-and-white sections of Truth or Dare offer glimpses into her offstage life, while excerpts from the show are seen in color. Madonna's relationship with her father and brother, the maternal control she wields over her dancers, her giggly friendship with Sandra Bernhard, her crush on Antonio Banderas (later to become her costar in the movie version of Evita), the waning days of her relationship with Warren Beatty (who accuses her of wanting to exist only for the camera)--all of it becomes self-conscious fodder for a fascinating examination of modern pop stardom. --Jim Emerson

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The majority of the film is in black and white, while the concerts were shot in color. The title of the film is taken from a scene of "truth or dare" that Madonna plays with her entourage of dancers and backup singers in which she reveals a very personal feeling of hers that she originally refused to allow in the film. The director said that Madonna would have to kill him in order to cut that one scene... so the scene was left in.

I found it interesting to see what happens the moment Madonna steps off stage--what goes on between shows or even songs. When technical problems occur during the show, she makes it known (in a not-so-subtle way) to her technical directors.

You get a glimpse of what kind of relationships Madonna leads and the roles that she plays in them. You meet her dad and brother, and see what sort of relationship they have as a family. For the most part, however, her tour family is made up of her dancers and backup singers.

You probably haven't seen this side of Madonna before, and you probably never will again. It's just a brief slice of her life.

23 of 28 found the following review helpful:

A Terrific FilmSep 12, 2003
By J. Reynolds
This was a terrific film, an informative and enjoyable look at Madonna on tour, behind the scenes. The concerts she performed required a lot of work, management and coordination, and it was fascinating to see parts of the process.

A lot of people castigate Madonna for her lifestyle, but we all need to keep a few things in mind: No law requires people to buy concert tickets or CDs from Madonna, but that's certainly not the case for public school districts, which merely arrange to tax citizens for whatever they want. There are no laws prohibiting anyone from competing with Madonna, but that's certainly not the case for our magnificent U.S. Postal Service. Madonna will always be funding her own retirement and health benefits programs -- but that's certainly not the case for our Senators/Representatives in Washington, who have bestowed lavish benefits upon themselves with money simply confiscated from taxpayers.

Madonna is a fine artist, along with being a successful free-market capitalist competitor. She has built a fortune for herself by pleasing others, and not causing any problems for anyone else. The truth is, all of us should dare to emulate the personal passion whish has fueled her success.

10 of 11 found the following review helpful:

Starts out great, ends up another Madonna publicity stunt.Aug 10, 2000

Alek Keshishian's vision was indeed a noble one. This could have easily become a true "rockumentary", if Madonna had not become aware of the camera and tried to be cutesy and show off. The beginning of the film is wonderful...telling Alek to "get out" of her business conversations. Later in the film, the "candid" moments appeared very contrived. The bed scene with the dancers and singers? C'mon! Are we to believe this is candid? It's probably a good movie for the hardcore fans, but the rest of us are left with an empty and cheated feeling.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Madonna is a genious in the art of performingNov 17, 1999

I know that the world has had a LOVE/Hate relationship with Madonna from the beginning and she proved all of the hypocrisy when she became the most famous woman in the World, despite the vicious attacks on her morals and character. Especially after "Ray of Light", Madonna shows that she is the ULTIMATE ICON and inspiration for women, that they really do rule the world! She is BEAUTIFUL, BRILLIANT, and fascinating as she continues to reinvent herself as she pushes the envelope to explore the deeper meaning of life beyond all the money and glitz. She has become even more beautiful at 40! You go, girl. You are a great role model for all of us to be our best. THANK YOU, Madonna, for all that you have given us. Kathy in CA kfurtado2@aol.com

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

ExcellentOct 23, 1999

This documentary came out when Madonna was at her peak, fame wise. Everyone was interested in her, whether they liked her or not. She was the heavyweight of celebrities. She's still up there. But its alittle different from 1990. For example, its like saying The Beatles were more popular in the 1970s than 1965 (think about it).

Anyway, this is a great documentary - very well made. Its not dated yet at all. The music is fabulous. The black and white footage alternating with the in-color concert footage was innovative. It packed a bigger wallop in the movie theatre, but it doesn't lose too much on the small screen. I watch it again now and then. Why? Because I still enjoy it! WAY!

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