WARNING: This Article May Contain Spoilers
Throughout her six-decade career, Cher seemed to go by many names. She was born Cherilyn Sarkisian but later became Cher Bono when she married Sonny in 1969. Before legally changing her name to Cher and following a second marriage, her full name was Cherilyn Sarkisian La Piere Bono Allman (I have no idea where the La Piere came from). She’s shared the stage with the likes of David Bowie, Bette Midler and Elton John and you’ll see by the following films the big names didn’t stop with her singing career.
Witches of Eastwick
I’m not going to pretend for a minute that I one hundred percent understood this film. There are a lot of implications which lead to some questions; like is Daryl (Jack Nicholson) the devil incarnate or is he just a demon? On and off throughout the film I still thought that the girls might be witches, but they may not have known it until they met Daryl and he unleashed their true power. However, the one thing I do take from this film is that it comes across as a real statement on female empowerment and that sometimes even what we would consider as Mr Right, isn’t completely perfect. I’m not sure that it’s important for Cher to be playing one of the leading roles, however I think her, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfieffer work well together.
Burlesque
Alright, I guess I’m cheating with this one a little bit seeing as she actually does sing – but in my defence it is only twice. Cher’s part as Tess isn’t as massive as you would expect when entering into this film as most of the story is based around the growth of Ali (played by Christina Aguilera) but what we do see, she does take to the role of ‘madam’ very well. Now, I’m not saying it’s a good film, it’s a little predictable if I’m completely honest, but it’s worth a watch mainly for the great singing of both Cher and Aguilera – and you can’t miss a film starring Stanley Tucci.
Tea with Mussolini
Based on a true story, this film shows a different side to World War Two that I don’t know many people know about. Shown through the eyes of the Scorpioni, a Jewish-American entertainer and a young boy, Tea with Mussolini tells the story of what happened to the British and Americans living in Italy during the war. I feel this is another film that Cher didn’t need to be cast in the role of Elsa, but I guess there may not have been a lot of choice for Jewish-American actresses at the time. Additionally, I find she is rather outshone by her co-stars but that’s no surprise when you’re acting alongside Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith.
Honourable Mentions
I am sad to say that there were a lot of films that Cher stars in that I was unable to watch – meaning that I had to use Burlesque in their place. For example, I was really looking forward to watching Moonstruck and Mermaids but unfortunately they were nowhere to be found. She actually had her first titular role in 1969 in Chastity and this was only the third film of her acting career.
