It has been well documented that Madonna’s screen career hasn’t exactly reached the heights of her musical career. Films like SHANGHAI SURPRISE (1986) and WHO’S THAT GIRL? (1987) were more famous at times for their off-screen shenanigans and the former film had much press attention at the location in South-East Asia, where the press and paparazzi pursued leads Sean Penn and Madonna.
Most have lived in hope that she would do another film like Susan Seidelman’s DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN (1985), which still ranks above and beyond the best film she has ever done. Part of this is down to the snappy and streetwise script by Leora Barish, coupled with one of the best ensemble casts – and a great female lead in Rosanna Arquette.
Arquette plays New Jersey housewife Roberta Glass, married to bathtub salesman Gary (Mark Blum), living in his seemingly comatose existence and somebody who clearly wants more excitement in her life. She finds it in the personal ads of a New York newspaper, where she follows the exploits of a rather exciting lady known simply as Susan, who is meeting her present boyfriend Jim (Robert Joy), a travelling musician.
Unfortunately, Susan is the subject of much interest, as she has acquired priceless earrings which a hood (Will Patton, NO WAY OUT, ARMAGEDDON) is determined to get hold of from an ex-boyfriend Susan co-habited with in Atlantic City. The boyfriend is thrown out of a window and killed and Susan makes the connection.
Meanwhile Roberta buys Susan’s jacket at a pawnshop which she herself has traded for boots and the confusion emerges. The hood sees the jacket mistaking Roberta for Susan. Susan wants the jacket back because it has a key from her Port Authority Bus Terminal locker, but Roberta agrees to make a trade.
When the hood tries to abduct Roberta, she bangs her head and suffers amnesia. Susan is arrested for non-payment of a cab fare and Roberta is taken in by Jim’s brother Dez (Aidan Quinn) who only knows of Susan’s nature rather than Roberta’s. Mix-ups and mistaken identity take centre stage – and there is still the little matter of those earrings….
Released originally to capitalise on Madonna’s then-rising star due to the huge success of her second album LIKE A VIRGIN, DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN proved to be the icing on the cake for Madonna, who had no fewer than three singles in the UK Top 10 at one point around the Summer of 1985, thanks to her performance at Live Aid in part. It was one of the biggest films in the UK.
However, it is not just Madonna who proves her worth in the film. Performances, particularly from Rosanna Arquette as Roberta and Laurie Metcalf (ROSEANNE, INTERNAL AFFAIRS) as Gary’s neurotic sister Leslie, are first-rate with some excellent lines and Aidan Quinn adds great support as Arquette’s new found support. The single LIKE A VIRGIN, which topped the UK chart for four weeks in 1985 around the same time, plays on the end credits.