Purple Rain
I enjoyed watching this movie, but I honestly can't give it more than a 5/10. It's got pretty much everything you'd expect from a B-movie, for better or worse.
The story follows Prince as he tries to hold on to his gig at a club. Things get complicated when Morris Day, who comes across as a cartoonishly over-the-top colored pimp, recruits Apollonia and her group to compete with him.
There are also a couple of subplots. The first is Prince's romance with Apollonia, which feels more like the main story. The second involves Wendy and Lisa, the guitarist and keyboardist who feel underappreciated. Prince keeps ignoring their ideas and won't even listen to their tapes. Will Prince swallow his pride and play their song? Well, you'll have to watch to find out.
And then there's what might as well be a third subplot: Apollonia's naked body. The nudity feels completely unnecessary and out of place. Hollywood being Hollywood, I guess.
One thing I did find interesting was watching Prince pour so much emotion into a song. I've rarely seen anything quite like it.
The Revolution, meanwhile, barely gets anything to do. Everyone gets a tiny moment here and there, but Prince's bandmates might as well be background decoration. Did they really have so little charisma or talent that the filmmakers couldn't give them more screen time?
Wendy and Lisa were probably the most interesting of the bunch. You have to pay attention to the little things, since they barely get any acting time. It's also interesting how the whole under appreciation subplot almost feels like foreshadowing, considering Wendy and Lisa eventually left Prince and formed their own group irl for the same reasons mentioned in this film.
As for the acting, Apollonia was easily the weakest link. Her performance was pretty wooden. She was in the Prince-O-sphere and had to be given some exposure.
Still, despite all the flaws, I'm glad I watched it. There's something oddly entertaining about the whole thing, and seeing Prince perform makes it worthwhile, even if the movie itself isn't particularly good.
Probably for Prince fans only.
The story follows Prince as he tries to hold on to his gig at a club. Things get complicated when Morris Day, who comes across as a cartoonishly over-the-top colored pimp, recruits Apollonia and her group to compete with him.
There are also a couple of subplots. The first is Prince's romance with Apollonia, which feels more like the main story. The second involves Wendy and Lisa, the guitarist and keyboardist who feel underappreciated. Prince keeps ignoring their ideas and won't even listen to their tapes. Will Prince swallow his pride and play their song? Well, you'll have to watch to find out.
And then there's what might as well be a third subplot: Apollonia's naked body. The nudity feels completely unnecessary and out of place. Hollywood being Hollywood, I guess.
One thing I did find interesting was watching Prince pour so much emotion into a song. I've rarely seen anything quite like it.
The Revolution, meanwhile, barely gets anything to do. Everyone gets a tiny moment here and there, but Prince's bandmates might as well be background decoration. Did they really have so little charisma or talent that the filmmakers couldn't give them more screen time?
Wendy and Lisa were probably the most interesting of the bunch. You have to pay attention to the little things, since they barely get any acting time. It's also interesting how the whole under appreciation subplot almost feels like foreshadowing, considering Wendy and Lisa eventually left Prince and formed their own group irl for the same reasons mentioned in this film.
As for the acting, Apollonia was easily the weakest link. Her performance was pretty wooden. She was in the Prince-O-sphere and had to be given some exposure.
Still, despite all the flaws, I'm glad I watched it. There's something oddly entertaining about the whole thing, and seeing Prince perform makes it worthwhile, even if the movie itself isn't particularly good.
Probably for Prince fans only.
Mini Review: I enjoyed watching this movie, but I honestly can't give it more than a 5/10. It's got pretty much everything you'd expect from a B-movie, for better or worse.