Review of Performance (1970) by Mister C — 15 Oct 2007

Who would have thought that Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones tried to launch a movie career? He did in a big way in 1970. In May of that year,he played the title role in "Ned Kelly" which was a hard-hitting serious and violent western set in the outback of Austraila and directed by Tony Richardson(which was a stretch),and in October of that year,he starred as rich overegotistical rock superstar Turner in Nicholas Roeg's.

"Performance". James Fox,on the other hand,hasn't had much with a screen career that began in 1950 with MGM's The Miniver Story(when he was billed as Bill Fox)and ended 20 years later with this decadent and over-the-top British cult flick.

Once one of the most conspicious partygoers of the swinging 1960's,Fox gave up alcohol,became a born again Christian and a missionary,and a born again actor. Think about that when you see him in 1963's The Servant(whom he co-starred with Ruby Dee and James Mason),and 1986's Absolute Beginners!

Here,he's gangster Chas Devlin,complete with a juggler's wild orange wig and sunglasses,who's killed the wrong man and is hiding out in Turner's basement. Like many films of that era(that exploded onto the impact of British cimema during the mid-1960's and throughout the entire decade of the 1970's),The Scene is more important than the participants' past. Anita Pallenberg and Michele Breton are Pherber and Lucy,two women,along with Turner and Chas engage in bisexuality,sadistic violence,masochism and magic mushrooms. "Performance" at one time was difficult to find on video for a good many years since the only way this movie was ever shown was during midnight screenings at selected theatres or special showings on college campuses. "Performance" qualitifies as a quaint period piece for classes that study 20th Century cultures and customs. Nicholas Roeg made the timeless "Walkabout" with Jenny Agutter in Austraila the following year while the other director,Donald Cammell went on to make other films including "Demon Seed" with Julie Christie in 1977. Mick Jagger never did become a superstar in the movies but he did went on to make some fine films later on. Roeg,in 1976 brought British rocker David Bowie to the screen in "The Man Who Fell To Earth" in 1976. And in this film who knew that the lead singer for The Rolling Stones could possibly act?

He turns in a effective astounding role in his motion picture debut. Worth seeing.

If you think for a second Turner and Chas give Pherber and Lucy rough trade in this film,wait till you see what happens to real-life groupies backstage with the Stones:It's dead kinky and a little sad.