Turner wisely recognized that she could never truly disappear into a role. She was too larger than life for that. For that same reason Rihanna, Beyonce or Madonna will always be themselves on screen whether they like it or not. But she picked a role that fit her badass persona like a glove.
In what was, until then, a very male-dominated franchise, Turner boldly pops out as an industrious and conniving character who runs a sprawling outpost in the post-apocalyptic future called Bartertown. And her scene-stealing work got me to thinking. What are my top 10 favorite performances by musical artists in a movie.
Now before I get started I am going make several caveats. I know. for instance, that Jennifer Lopez became as well known (if not moreso) for her career as a pop act after establishing herself as a movie star, but I always think of her as more of an actress than a singer. And so I am leaving off her brilliant work in Out of Sight and Hustlers. The same goes for Mark Wahlberg and Will Smith. I know they were technically both musicians, but their work as actors has so dramatically outshone what they did in pop rap that I am also casting them aside.
These are my 10 favorite performances by musicians -- in no particular order -- off the top of my head, I am sure I am forgetting some great ones but here goes...
Prince, Purple Rain -Yes, I know it's autobiographical and that Prince's strength as a performer on stage is what makes this movie special, but I've always thought people sleep too much on his performance as The Kid. He is often an unrepentant jerk but when you get a glimpse of his horrific home life and the toll it takes on him, it makes perfect sense that he's become the tortured artist he is.
Michael Jackson, The Wiz- All the caveats about Jackson as a human being aside, he showed tremendous promise as an actor in his one proper big screen role. According to director Sidney Lumet he was so immersed in this musical (and his role as the Scarecrow) that he memorized every other actor's lines in addition to his own. He best understands the material's tone of soulful whimsy.
David Bowie, The Man Who Fell to Earth- Who better (circa 1975) to play an alien who comes to earth in search of life saving materials for his ailing family back home but who winds up becoming an electronics mogul instead. Bowie was always a dynamic presence in every movie he was in and his best performance might be in The Hunger (1983) but I think this is his most memorable.
Ice Cube, Boyz n the Hood - The rapper has never had tremendous range, but he gives a beautifully understated dramatic performance in director John Singleton's masterpiece. His character, Doughboy, seems doomed almost from birth, not just because of his impoverished background but because he lives in the shadow of his football star brother Ricky. His final scene is one of the most affective I've ever seen.
Justin Timberlake, The Social Network - Even if like me you find Timberlake obnoxious, his cocky smugness was the perfect fit for the role of Sean Parker in director David Fincher's brilliant look at the rise of Facebook. He is a great foil for Andrew Garfield's more humane character and his downfall is just as satisfying in the film's last act.
Ronee Blakely, Nashville - By no means a household name then or now, this country singer is simply heartbreaking in Robert Altman's legendary take on 1970s Americana. She plays a star who is mentally fraying at the seems but who is forced to put on a happy face anyway, a choice that will prove tragic. She scored as Oscar nom for her performance.Dolly Parton, 9 to 5 - For her film debut, Dolly shrewdly picked a part that played to her strengths. It helped that she was paired with two other great leading ladies she had incredible chemistry with: Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. As a trio of office workers who've been harassed and/or disrespected by their boss (the great, somehow still alive Dabney Coleman) they are characters you root for and adore. She's as funny and fierce as you'd ever want her to be.
Cher, Moonstruck - This is probably a no brainer, after all, Cher won the Oscar for this film. She is a terrific actress and the award was well-deserved. She gives this light comedy real feeling and passion. And the movie is one of the rare films that successfully de-glams a star enough to have their eventual return to form feel like a revelation...
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born - ...This is the other that comes to mind. Lady Gaga completely submerges her off-screen persona to wonderful dramatic effect in Bradley Cooper's unjustly maligned remake. Granted, in this version, Cooper has the showier role, but Gaga is the breathtaking, especially during the first act where we see her character's talent just begin to blossom. There's a reason her rendition of the film's signature song remains a modern classic.
Frank Sinatra, The Manchurian Candidate - The iconic crooner more than established himself as a major actor over several years and this may be his most compelling, haunting performance. As a Korean War veteran suffering from a very acute case of PTSD you'd never know that he was the velvet voice behind dozens of hit standards.
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