WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 1993 David N. Butterworth/The Summer Pennsylvanian
Little Anna Mae Bullock sure loves to belt it out during her Sunday morning gospel choir sessions, so much so that this young, disruptive prodigy is often dragged outside. Make no bones about it, this kid can sing. But life in Nutbush, Tennessee isn't all sunshine and song. Before we know it, her mother and elder sister have packed their bags for St. Louis, leaving the sad and frightened Anna Mae behind.
"Anna Mae who?" you may ask yourself. "Never heard of her." Well maybe you know her better by her stage name. Tina Turner.
WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT is a straightforward but thoroughly irresistible biopic of the sultry rock legend who finally struck out on her own after suffering years of abuse at the hands of husband and mentor, Ike Turner. The film is based on I, TINA, the 1986 biography co-authored by Turner and MTV straight man Kurt Loder, and stars Angela Bassett in an impassioned performance as the big-haired and big-heeled pop diva.
Twelve years after being abandoned, Anna Mae joins her estranged family in St. Louis, where she is bowled over by the sights and sounds of life in the big city. One such sound is that of lounge singer Ike Turner (played by Laurence Fishburne), whose band performs in the nightclub at which sister Jackie (Vanessa Bell Calloway) tends bar. It's open-mike night, and before long that shiny metallic object is dangled in front of Anna Mae. The expression on her sister's face when Anna Mae cranks out a gutsy blues version of "(Darlin') You Know I Love You" is priceless. A star is born.
Ike takes Anna Mae under his wing and before long she's on the road to stardom with a new name and a future. But there's a price to pay for success.
The film contains more black eyes and bloody noses than ROCKY. Like SWEET DREAMS, COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER, and LADY SINGS THE BLUES before it, WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT is a tragic chronicle of the physical abuse suffered by one of our most beloved female entertainers. The scenes of domestic violence are extremely potent and painful to watch. Tina's explanation for enduring Ike's viciousness for so long is "I know what it's like to have your own flesh and blood walk out on you." But when she finally finds the strength to fight back, the crowd goes wild.
Fishburne is excellent in a very unsympathetic role. Ike Turner could so easily have been portrayed as one-dimensional, but the talented Fishburne gives this frightened wife-beater some depth.
Angela Bassett, too, has done her homework. Although she doesn't physically resemble her, Bassett's body language and stage persona are pure Tina Turner. One of the film's many musical highlights is the "Shake a Tail Feather" sequence, a loving recreation of Phil Spector's THE BIG T.N.T. SHOW. Here Bassett struts her stuff with uncanny accuracy. The way she chases around the stage; the way she trails her left arm behind her as she gyrates; the way she tips her head and flicks her hair--all Tina Turner. The lip-synching isn't always perfect, but you'll be so caught up in the film's emotional energy that you'll barely notice. Turner did re-record some numbers for the film, and her voice is as raspy and seductive as ever.
It's a little eerie watching a movie about a rock star who's still alive, and cutting to concert footage of the real Tina Turner at the film's conclusion is somewhat jarring, as it tends to de-emphasize Bassett's fine work in the film (especially when the transition from teenager to middle-aged woman has been handled so deftly). But it's a small nitpick.
Propelled by two star-making performances, WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT is an infectious, energetic musical experience that doesn't attempt to smooth over the sordid details of Tina Turner's life. It's a success story with heart, and soul.
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