Strong and Moving!

Great Film overall

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Sacred Arias is not my favourite of Andrea Bocelli's concerts, that's still A Night in Tuscany for me, but it is still a moving experience. The church setting is simply magnificent, giving an elegant feel. The camera work is not as striking as Night in Tuscany, but still efficient. The sound is very good, while musically it is just a feast, with Ave Maria, Sancta Maria and Panis Angelicus enough to strike an emotional chord, and the orchestral playing sweeping and sensitive, the conducting both nuanced and commanding and the choir suitably angelic. Andrea Bocelli is yet another plus, yet again he is moving and passionate, and his beautiful, distinctive tone is still evident especially in Ave Maria. All in all, I recommend Sacred Arias highly, especially with the Special Edition. If you love Bocelli and want to be moved and engrossed, this one's a keeper. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I didn't rate this nearly as high as Andrea Bocelli's first filmed concert, but maybe because that one was presented so well that others can never match up to it. I've only seen this twice and since most of the songs are unfamiliar, I'm sure the rating will go up as I hear it more often. These arias are still solid, of course, and Bocelli's voice is as good as ever. The visuals just aren't as colorful. The church in which this concert was filmed is magnificent and I would have liked to have seen more of it. It is the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, Italy. A better job of making the visuals more interesting would have made this DVD concert more attractive.I've never been a fan of opera but anyone can convert me, it's this guy. "Sacred Arias" is what I would call low-key opera. Interspersed here and there in the concert are scenes of Bocelli and his family, and his country.In all, a soothing and pleasing concert. It won't knock your socks off like Andrea's first DVD, but it's still a quality concert DVD.