Review of Graffiti Bridge (1990) by R.c. K — 21 Jan 2008

The supposed sequel to Purple Rain, The Kid and Morris Day return, years after the events of that film, but this time written and directed by Prince himself.

This movie is harmless, and that's the essential truth of it. The acting is iffy when it isn't awful (Prince, incidentally, is not the offender--while he is still playing himself, he still does that pretty well) and the writing is less than snappy, the dialogue occasionally flat. Prince's direction, interestingly enough, is actually pretty good, at least, when directing the acting isn't involved. The plot, though, centers on a group of nightclubs, all left to Day and The Kid in a will, seven of them (or maybe it was six and there are seven total, I'm not sure) being run by Day, one run by The Kid. Day is attempting to monopolize the whole area so that he can make as much money as possible and guarantee that all money and traffic is coming to him in the end. The Kid is defiantly using his club for the spiritual message that, by this time, was becoming a lot more important to Prince himself. They reference the fact, repeatedly, that no one at The Kid's club is drinking and so on. He insists that this message is the important thing, the message of love, and Morris insists there is no money in it.

The set design is actually pretty interesting, a very obviously studio streetcorner, but with that wonderful appeal of the unrealistically close but detailed building façades, as well as those carefully placed cars in the street. I don't know what it is that I so like about those sets--usually indicative of something stagey like a musical (see My Fair Lady or Little Shop of Horrors) but I suppose somehow comfortable for their reduced size. The showcase of the film, obviously, is Prince's music (what? you're surprised?) and the performances put on by him, Morris Day & the Time, Tevin Campbell, Mavis Staples and a handful of others. Of course, this soundtrack, overall, is not as strong as his previous film, though I feel it is at least more restrained and careful in its performance, instead of sprawling and growing a bit out of control.

Aura (Ingrid Chavez) is the main vehicle for the message of the film, a seeming angel of almost the literal variety, encouraging the Kid to follow spiritual principles in his battle of wills with Morris. She is actually pretty decent at conveying this impression, I feel it's worth noting. And on the same note of performance, His Purple Majesty deserves some recognition for the first time he's writing a letter to his father. Surprisingly well played by the feisty little musical virtuoso, and sort of lost in the awkward and amateurish acting of most of the supporting cast behind the three or four main stars.

Still, not nearly as awful as it's usually claimed--though no hidden gem either.