What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)

As a young girl, Anna Mae Bullock is left behind when her mother flees an abusive husband. As a young woman she comes to the city to rejoin her mother and sister. Going with her sister to a local club, Anna Mae is drawn onto the stage by band leader Ike Turner and reveals a powerful voice. He takes her into his band and the two go onto success, marriage and children with Anna Mae taking the stage name Tina Turner. However beneath the surface, Ike is a violent man and Tina is forced to either defend him or escape.

I have seen this twice already, although I'm not a Tina Turner fan and don't find her music to be that good (aside from a few of the bigger hits) but I do know a powerful film when I see it. The plot is based on the biography of Tina Turner and, because it is official, the end result is that it lacks an eye that approaches with fair judgement. The film therefore builds up the strength of Ike and the resolve of Tina and is a little too reverent at points like Tina finding strength in Buddhist chanting. However it is difficult to miss the cynical eye when you accept that having a violent husband and being trapped is a difficult situation that anyone does well to come out of.

The film is moving but never lets itself become overly emotional or sentimental. Instead it just soldiers on like Tina herself and the final scenes give you an impression of someone who has overcome to get to where she is. Usually it would be difficult to feel for someone who is as rich and successful as Tina Turner and it is to the film's credit that it has managed it. Part of the reason for this is a sympathetic yet strong performance from Bassett (one of the better black actresses around). She at times seems to be just impersonating Turner (during the music pieces) but she is in her element in the rest with a meaty part not often offered to her. Fishburne is good and bad in different ways. Firstly he is good because he grips the audience and commands attention and is, as always, an excellent actor given the chance. However he is too powerful – the real Ike is less physically dominant and Fishburne doesn't do him justice – appearing to point the blame on drugs and no inner turmoil.

Overall this is a good film that deals with a difficult subject matter. The fact that it is a true story just makes it better. Strong black leads and emotionally involving makes for a good watch even if it's hard to describe the violence at times as `entertainment'.