297. Nothing Compares; movie review

 

NOTHING COMPARES

Cert 15

96 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, references to sexual violence, domestic abuse

Remember when Sinéad O'Connor went from being famous for her music and then killed her career by mouthing off, insanely?

Well, it turns out that she wasn't crazy, just ahead of her time.

I was genuinely stunned by Kathryn Ferguson's documentary about O'Connor because it revealed just how daring and on the money she was.

Since her career-ending ripping-up of The Pope's photo on Saturday Night Live, her insinuations about abuse of children by Catholic priests has been proven over and over.

Meanwhile, she stood up for ethnic minorities and women, decades before anyone else dared to.

Nothing Compares reminds us that O'Connor was the darling of music critics and chat show hosts in the 1980s after blowing them away with her incredible voice.

It also reflects upon what was perceived at the time to be her self-destruction.

With hindsight, she seems incredibly forward-thinking with her stances against the men who tried to mould her image (she shaved off her hair) and a Catholic church which tried to hide abuse of children.

Interestingly, the clip of Joe Pesci stating on SNL that he would have punched her in the face does not pass the test of time nearly as well as her comments.

Ferguson's film chronicles her early years through contemporaneous footage, current interviews and some narrative from unseen O'Connor.

Interestingly, the estate of Prince, who wrote and performed her worldwide hit, Nothing Compares 2 U, refused permission for the song to be used in the documentary.

In a statement, the estate simply stated that his version was the best.

It seems rather churlish but doesn't diminish the impact of the film which shows how O'Connor recovered from a childhood of abuse to make her as a singer.

She then went on to cause the aforementioned ructions with her political beliefs and she regrets not a word of them.

Why should she? After all, her outspokenness led many entertainers down the same road of standing up for themselves and actually making a difference.

Reasons to watch: Staggering to see how right Sinéad O'Connor was

Reasons to avoid: No rights for her most famous song

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? In the late 1990s, Sinéad O'Connor was ordained as a priest by Bishop Michael Cox of the Irish Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church. However, The Roman Catholic Church considers ordination of women to be invalid and states that a person trying to ordain a woman will incur excommunication.

The final word. Kathryn Ferguson: "I think she was 30 years ahead of her time, to her detriment. I think she has an incredible legacy that inspires younger generations today. We need more Sinéads today, causing trouble and kicking the door down. She's brave, bold, and unbelievably talented." Salon

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