TV Review: Madonna's 'I'm gonna tell you a secret'

Saturday, October 22, 2005

All hail the queen. Tonight on MTV, Madonna's newest documentary, I'm gonna tell you a secret, aired commercial-free. The show is an in-depth look at Madonna's life during her most recent tour. Starting from the very beginning during the auditions of her dancers until the last show and beyond to her controversial visit to Israel. I've always been a Madonna fan, so when I heard that MTV was airing this look into her life, I knew I had to watch.

For two hours we are immersed into the life of Madonna, as we had been in her past documentary, Truth or Dare, fourteen years ago. However, the woman we see here is much different than the woman we saw then. Some is the same. Madonna is still a driven performer. She is still the type of woman to give dancers a chance, no matter their age. She treats her crew like a second family.

The only difference now is that this isn't her only family. She has a family of her own - two children and a husband. We are able to see all three on this documentary. Some may raises eyebrows by her allowing her children to be seen in this way, but those children are a part of her and who she is now. Having her children is what began this change in her. The woman we see now is still driven, but she also sees the world in a much different light. She is able to discuss the world and the beings in it with intelligence. She is a wife and a mother first. She is no longer the party girl she once was, but she still does know how to have fun.

Madonna still has the ability to perform as well. Scenes from her life and backstage at shows were interwoven with concert footage from her last tour, and you honestly wouldn't know the woman just turned forty-seven in the last couple of months. She still puts her all into her performances, and it shows on stage. She might be as limber as may have once been, but that does come with age. She can perform though. There is no doubt about that.

As I said, I've been a fan of Madonna since almost the beginning. I was eight years old when her first songs were released, and this look into her life only renewed my love for this woman - both as a woman and a performer. Some of the things she was saying went deeper than anything I've heard her say in the past. Hew views of the world and life were refreshing to hear, and I'm glad I took the time to watch. Knowing MTV, they will repeat this at some point, but you will probably have to deal with commercials then. If you are a fan or were a fan at some point, this documentary is definitely worth the time to watch.

Some of my personal Madonna favorites are: Don't tell me, Like a prayer and I'll remember. Download them on iTunes using those links! You can also find the entire Madonna Collection on iTunes here.