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‘Isn’t he a bit like you and me?’ Nowhere Boy and the feminised rock biopic

2012; Issue: 68 Linguagem: Inglês

1449-857X

Matthew Bannister,

Musicology and Musical Analysis

Rock biopics have historically been marginal to mainstream cinema, appealing primarily to a specialist audience: male rock fans. They also tend to get a critical drubbing because of their predictable, morally simplistic narrative: naive boys gain the world but lose their soul to sex, drugs and commerce (with the possible exception of Todd Haynes' Velvet Goldmine and I'm Not There). Generally, biopics about female musicians (such as those about Billie Holiday, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline and Tina Turner) have been more successful, both commercially and critically. Perhaps they appeal to a broader audience by focusing more closely on the emotional journey of the heroine - you don't have to like the music to enjoy the movie. Or perhaps because women are often seen as outsiders in popular music, it makes their stories more compelling or forces the writers to be more creative. But films about female rock musicians (as opposed to jazz, country or soul, as in the above examples) are rare.