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

Reviewed by Filipe Manuel Neto 5 / 10

**A discreet biographical film, that seems to me

**A discreet biographical film, that seems to me to fulfill its role.** Even those who don't like her, I think, have the honesty to recognize the impact and relevance of Tina Turner's music. She doesn't please everyone (nobody pleases everyone) but it is still a reference in 20th century music. Owner of a record that is hard to match, she has several awards, several Grammys and two stars on the Walk of Fame, among other honors. The film we have here, heavily based on the singer's autobiography, shows us a little of her personal life, how she became famous and her difficult marriage to Ike Turner. I never read the original book, but I believe the movie omits a lot of information and data to try to focus on the main thing. Brian Gibson ensures an efficient direction and the script is quite good, mainly because of the way it sticks to the story and facts, avoiding melodramas and cloying sentimentality. Of course, not everything goes smoothly: the film is quite predictable, and its pace, although pleasant, goes through several bumps that are basically musical pauses. The most relevant point in favor of this film is the excellent choice of the cast and the impeccable way in which it acts. Lawrence Fishburne has the difficult task of bringing the truculent Ike to life (and there aren't many characters more disgusting than an abusive husband), but he put in such effort that he manages to capture our attention with magnificent charisma. Beside her, the great Angela Bassett never seemed so powerful and electrifying. Incidentally, the resemblance of the two actors to the real figures they embody is truly remarkable. The film has excellent cinematography and good scenery. The costumes, props and even automobiles play an important role in building the atmosphere of the time in which things are happening (between the 50s and the beginning of the 80s). The soundtrack is also good and, predictably, it's basically based on songs by Tina Turner and Ike Turner.

Reviewed by CinemaSerf 7 / 10

Andrea Bassett provides quite a compelling interpretation of

Andrea Bassett provides quite a compelling interpretation of the early life of Tina Turner here and Laurence Fishburne is also on good form as the brutish Ike. Born Annie Mae Bullock, she grows up in a community where singing is important and where her voice helps her to stand out. Pretty swiftly she attracts the notice of local band leader Ike Turner who gives her a start fronting his music before she becomes his wife and a mother. Success begins to follow but as that happens he turns into a monster. She is beaten regularly and feels more and more intimidated and fearful within her own marriage. Her society just wasn't geared up for a woman to leave her husband, however violent, and so with their business and family lives so completely intertwined any chance to break free was always going to be dangerous for this woman. Peppered with some well staged performances of their songs, and concluding with the birth of a legend, this is one of the more honest biopics that spares us little of the detail of a relationship riddled with turmoil and little respect. Fishburne presents us with a man who is odious in the extreme, but also one who exudes a degree of vulnerability as he clearly takes to drink and drugs to compensate for her success and his perception on how that impacted on his manhood to some extent. Not to excuse the behaviour - it seems commonplace for many African American women to have been the victims of domestic violence, but it does humanise the man a little and that does help to illustrate both the boldness and determination of an hugely talented and strong woman to do what she had to to break free of his magnetically toxic influence. It's based on her own book, and that adds a considerable degree of authenticity and richness to a depiction that's tough to watch at times, but well worth it.

Reviewed by Rusty-61

Tina should be proud.

How could anyone not like this movie? Unless they were Ike Turner, that is. When we walked out of seeing the movie during its first run in the theater, my husband commented dryly, "Well, that movie didn't paint a very flattering portrait of Ike." and we both laughed at the understatement. If you've read the Tina's book, though, you'll know that the movie goes VERY easy on him-while merely a typical abusive bully in the film, Ike treated her much, much worse in real life. I think if they put even half the abuse and torture he put her through in real life, though, the movie would have been too much of a downer-you got the idea. Fishburne does a good job of making Ike so charming when Tina first meets him that you can see why she falls in love with him, until he turns into a monster. Angela Bassett is just fantastic, she has Tina down perfect, though her upper body is so pumped up in some scenes she looks almost masculine. Tina Turner was (hell, still is at 60) toned and buff, but not a female bodybuilder. Her performance is dynamic and heartbreaking, and I can't watch the scene where she finally gets sick of his abuse and starts fighting back. When she finally hits him back in the scene in the limo, I heard the loudest cheers and applause in the audience that I've heard since I saw Thelma and Louise. I've seen the movie dozens of times and her passion in that scene still gets me emotional every time. But the real reason I watch the movie over and over (especially when I'm trying to get motivated to work out) are the musical numbers. They include among others "A Fool in Love", "Rock me Baby" a great montage to "Make me Over", but the centerpiece of the film has got to be the perfect recreation, right down to the choreography, of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue's "Proud Mary". It is full of so much energy and rocks so much that your jaw will just hang open in amazement when Tina and the Ikettes start going into their dance moves. I never get tired of watching that scene (almost as good as the real thing). I'm still trying to figure out how they kept their wigs on when they were whipping their upper bodies back and forth, they danced so hard. Oh, and the costumes (especially on the Ikettes and the "Proud Mary" fringe dress) and period detail are not only accurate but To Die For. I can't recommend this movie enough. She should have got the Academy Award, not just the Golden Globe, and the movie should have got the Oscar for best picture of 1993.

What's Love Got to Do with It

1993

Action / Biography / Drama / Music

What's Love Got to Do with It

1993

Action / Biography / Drama / Music

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**A discreet biographical film, that seems to me

Andrea Bassett provides quite a compelling interpretation of

Tina should be proud.

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