Under the Cherry Moon

Yeah, I know I only gave this movie a 7, but the vote is a relative thing. Not everything can be a 10. If I were voting on the basis of genre, then definitely a 10. Anyways, I digress. Under the Cherry Moon is the finest movie Prince ever directed (and if you've seen the abysmal Graffiti Bridge, you know what I mean), and the fact that he took over from Mary Lambert (who went on to direct the ludicrously bad Pet Sematary)at the last minute, further proves my point. Prince and erstwhile sidekick Jerome Benton play a pair of hustlers who make no bones about their profession; in fact, the fun they have is so infectious, it seems to take all the sleaze out of it. Merrily they go along until Christopher (Prince) lays eyes on Kristin Scott-Thomas and goes completely ga-ga, forgetting altogether the pair's objective of swindling her out of her fortune. This is a fun movie, one that manages to evoke the feel of a 30s screwball comedy injected with a modern sensibility. The music is among Prince's finest (and most cohesive album-wise), and most rhythmically inventive. Don't rent this expecting to see a work of cinematic art; this is pure entertainment, plain and simple. If you're looking for something you can watch strictly for fun, check this one out. For those who have seen it and love as I do, I have two words for you: Wrecka Stow!

When I first saw this movie I was expecting to see a really awful movie. Well, it has many weaknesses but it's also a beautifully shot, light hearted romantic comedy which is at times extremely hilarious. It even holds up after repeated viewing. So many funny and quotable scenes "The Wrecka Stow", "Tell him it's chinese", "It's the mum!", "How much money you make? Damn, couldn't you buy some cologne, man?!" and it goes on and on. And of course the soundtrack is superb. Sure, you'll have to like prince at least a bit 'cos you'll getting a lot of him (being the director, actor and composer) but once you can forgive his little faults (which I think is *not* the extreme vanity stuff cos I think that was done so over the top on purpose for fun) you'll be entertained for sure and Prince/Jerome Benton make a great comedy duo as Christopher Tracy and 'Tricky'. When things are getting more serious and dramatic it loses it's strengths a bit, but still I found this a very enjoyable movie.

I know a lot of people I talk to didn't like this film, but I thought it was great! Maybe one must be a big admirer of Prince's work to appreciate it or not be bothered by it being in black and white. Personally, I think it was better than 'Purple Rain', which probably was only as successful as it was due to the concert footage. Compare the acting to 'Under the Cherry Moon' and it was awful. In 'Cherry Moon', Prince and Jerome Benton were hilarious together! It was a half decent storyline, but their humor was so ridiculous, it was hilarious! I tend to find the silly stuff funny, and that's partly why I loved this film. It was so silly that it was funny!! Well, I also love Prince and his music. This film was like a modern, comedic twist to classic romance films. The ending was kind of lame, but overall I think the film was great! The film may be in black and white, but yet it's very colorful!

I grew up watching Black and White romances with utterly charming leading men and hopelessly beautiful women who fall in love in a space and time that doesn't exist in the real world. I miss that element from modern movies. Although a tad bit inept as a film-maker, Prince more than adequately conveys mood, sensuality, humor, glamour, and plain fun in this HIGHLY stylized B&W movie. He captured the capriciousness of old B&W studio films that were totally star driven. He gets away with it all because HE IS PRINCE.

Prince fans hated with movie and album. For me, the reverse was true. It was this film and this soundtrack that turned me into a Prince fan. When I want a good laugh and a poignant cry, I pop in this movie and remember "sometimes it snows in April".

First off, very few 10's and/or 1's exist, so those reviews should be taken with a grain of salt IMO. Even as a massive Prince fan, I can't, in good conscience, go any higher than an 8 here.

I never quite understood why this movie got such bad reviews, but maybe that's because I am a Prince fan who always enjoyed the subtle campy comedy of Prince, even in his live performances. This type of thing was always present between Price and Morris Day for example. I think most people just wanted/expected another Purple Rain, but the beauty of Princes' creativity was that he was not formulaic and never did the same thing twice... he reinvented himself on every album and project.

If you aren't a true Prince fan, maybe skip this one, but if you enjoyed the fun comedic side of Prince, you will find plenty of light hearted fun and laughs here ;)