MOVIE REVIEW: THE COLOR PURPLE

Torn apart from her sister and her children, Celie faces many hardships in life, including an abusive husband. With support from a sultry singer named Shug Avery, as well as her stand-her-ground stepdaughter, Celie ultimately finds extraordinary strength in the unbreakable bonds of a new kind of sisterhood.

Director: Blitz Bazawule

Cast: Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Louis Gossett Jr., Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Ciara, Jon Batiste, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Release Date: December 25, 2023

Genre: Drama, Musical

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexual content, violence and language.

Runtime: 2h 21m

The Color Purple is a lavishly constructed, vibrant musical which does a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the original film for a new audience.  Blitz Bazawule confidentially directs the film with a decisive hand, staging a series of wonderfully choreographed musical numbers that each bring a distinctive kind of energy.  These sequences serve as the film's beating heart and in those moments the energy pops off the screen with impressive verve.  There are moments that echo other film musicals like Chicago or more fanciful moments similar to Julie Taymor's Across the Universe.  It’s a fascinating blend of styles and approaches that works in the film's favor for the most part even though some of dramatic weight of the story gets lost in spots.  There's a lighter tone throughout even as Celie experiences some of the uglier bits of abuse from Mister which makes for an abrupt turn after lively musical moments.  The ensemble cast manages to balance those moments thanks to strong performances across the board.  Phylicia Pearl Mpasi and Halle Bailey leave a lasting impression in their limited screen time during the film's open act before Fantasia Barrino takes center stage.  Barrino's turn is understated, meek, earnest and ultimately hopeful.  Her performance isn't as big as other more outsized characters, but she manages to be the backbone of the film before being allowed to display her immense vocal talent in a series of revelatory songs.  Barrino share excellent onscreen chemistry with the cast with it really shining through when paired with Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks.  Henson and Brooks are perfectly suited to play their outsized and more garish characters with the latter stealing nearly every scene she's in.  Colman Domingo's baritone voice is perfectly suited for his turn as Mister, even though he's never quite as menacing as Danny Glover in the original film, mainly due to an inherent kindness that comes through all his performances in general.  Corey Hawkins possesses a similar energy which is much better suited for his character, Harpo, more so than Domingo's Mister.  It makes some slightly strange dynamics which the film can't quite balance perfectly in the non musical moments.  Minor issues like that can be forgiven thanks to the quality of the performances and direction which is sure to leave an impression regardless if people are experiencing the story for the first time or are already familiar with it.  

A-