Purple Rain (1984)

Purple Rain (R) - Review

"More Frills Per Minute"

It is the 1980s in the Midwest, dueling Funk Rock bands are on the scene.  The nefariously cheesy Morris Day and his diabolical Time are trying to make it big at the expense of the rakishly dashing Kid (played by Prince) and his band The Revolution.  Minneapolis is a happening place, but the Kids popularity is on a down curve.  He rides around in cuffs and tails on his big purple motorcycle while his bandmates creativity feels stifled by the Kids sensitive under appreciated artist routine.  He is such a tortured artist that he still lives at home with his parents, who practice routine spousal abuse just to keep the angst up.  When the beautiful Appolonia comes to town to become a big star and falls for our effeminate manbeast, tensions arise and songs are sung.

Purple Rain is by no means a great film.  Coming a hairs breadth away from nonsensical, the typical under dog plot moves generously along to its ultimate glistening conclusion.  The visuals range from upstage band lighting to "oops we forgot to turn the lights on".  The unprofessional acting and obvious improv keep the scenes barely afloat.  The emotional twists throughout the film are laughably sudden and reek of WTF-did-I-just-see? The climax (hah) where he literally ejaculates his music out unto his adoring fans had me laughing out loud (due to its audacity, stupidity or absurdity I'll never know).

The movie however was made to highlight the mystique and music of Prince, and here Purple Rain succeeds loudly.  The fashions, the attitudes, the synth sounds and the eye makeup all scream up from our past.  Unlikely misogyny and long sweaty looks at Prince and from Prince fill the lens; this is a movie for fans to worship their poprock deity while he playacts some nonsense about falling in love and not selling out and keeping his folks alive and right up until the final number being an unrecognized musical genius.  Beautiful women, good editing (and music video montage) and chest out vamping can't completely make up for its innate amaturity in scripting construction and acting.  In the end its a fun staring contest with the sex Prince himself, which is what the movie was made for.  Who will blink first?

6.5 Hoop Earrings out of 10 (GOOD)