Madonna Brought Together a Star-Studded Cast for Her New Short Film

A new era of dance music is on its way courtesy of Madonna. The musician is currently busy promoting her upcoming 15th studio album, Confessions II, which drops this July 3 and serves as a sequel to her groundbreaking Confessions on a Dance Floor album from 2005. Already, Madonna has made headlines with surprise appearances at Coachella earlier this year during Sabrina Carpenter’s headlining set and, most recently, a surprise concert in Times Square.

​But arguably her most exciting promotional effort yet has been the release of her short movie Confessions II – The Film. And it has everything one would expect from a pop music video: a storyline, looks, and celebrity cameos.  

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​What’s in Madonna’s Confessions II – The Film

Premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival before being uploaded to YouTube, Confessions II – The Film is a nearly 14-minute short film composed of the first six songs from the album (I Feel So Free, Good for the Soul, One Step Away, Bring Your Love, Danceteria, and Read My Lips). The video is directed by David Toro and Solomon Chase, collectively known as TORSO. It is a musical journey rooted in dance pop, as it shifts between multiple locations, from a forest, a highway, a dancefloor, and a club bathroom.

True to her status as a pop provocateur, Madonna is anything but boring in her short movie as she, among other things, runs away from female robots, navigates a forest filled with women shooting lasers in between their legs, crashes her car while driving to a rave, and starts a dance party in a bathroom.

It all plays to the album’s themes of freedom, desire, and connection as Madonna takes dance music back to its roots and shows how uninhibited it can make one feel. No matter where one goes, dance music will always be there, which can be enjoyed individually or as a collective experience.

Helping bring the movie’s visuals to life is Dolce & Gabbana, who not only dressed Madonna for the production but also all 250 extras. The Queen of Pop and the Italian fashion house have had a long-standing relationship that goes back to the early ‘90s, so it isn’t surprising to see the two work together again.

Along with looks from their recent collections, archival and vintage pieces from D&G’s history also make an appearance on Madonna, such as rhinestone-embellished bra top from Dolce & Gabbana’s fall/winter 1991 show during the Bring Your Love segment and a corseted mini-dress bonded with PVC and an exposed black bra, which is inspired by the Italian brand’s spring/summer 1998 show and the turquoise color a nod the vinyl D&G raincoat Madonna wore on her Ray of Light album cover, during the bathroom scene.

The short film is also sprinkled with easter eggs and callbacks, so much so that Madonna encourages repeat viewings to catch them all. Some we spotted include the song Danceteria, which is named after the New York nightclub Madonna got her start at in the ‘80s, and how she gave her demo tape to DJ Mark Kamins, and references to her movie Desperately Seeking Susan and other music videos such as Hung Up, Deeper and Deeper, Open Your Heart, and Die Another Day.

Celebrity Cameos in Madonna’s Newest Short Movie

Arguably the most impressive part about the short movie is how many celebrity cameos Madonna managed to squeeze in. She assembled a diverse cast that includes actors, musicians, models, and even a couple of athletes.

Actress Julia Garner makes an appearance, as it looks like Madonna morphs into Julia wearing a cone bra, which is a not-so-subtle nod to how the actress is Madonna’s personal pick to play her in the long-in-development biopic. Sabrina Carpenter also joins the Queen of Pop for what seems to be the official visual for their collaboration Bring Your Love. Given how Sabrina’s verse has more screentime than Madonna’s own lines suggest she’s giving the spotlight to a next-generation pop star.

However, it’s in the club bathroom scene where a majority of the video’s cameos are found. As she walks in, there’s a shot of Odessa A’zion followed by a shot of Chelsea football players Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro by the urinals. Gwendoline Christie watches as Madonna gets steamy with some men in a cubicle, while Madonna’s longtime friend and collaborator Debi Mazar is both mentioned in a song lyric and appears in the scene.

Fashion icon Kate Moss gets ready by the bathroom mirror as she poses with Madonna, and she even busts a move with actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Other cameos spotted in the scene include ARCA, Honey Dijon, Richard E. Grant, Shygirl, and Archie Madekwe. Columbian artist Feid, meanwhile, joins Madonna in the video as he delivers his Spanish verse on Read My Lips.

As a final surprise, Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon makes an appearance as the last celebrity cameo of the short film and appropriately ends the movie with, “Cut, b*tch.” It all makes for a project that only an artist like Madonna can deliver.

Featured Image and Photos: MADONNA (via YouTube)