Prince's direction, interestingly enough, is actually pretty good! The plot centers on a group of nightclubs, all left to Day and The Kid in a will, 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, but I suppose somehow comfortable for their reduced size.
The showcase of the film, obviously, is Prince's music, and the performances put on by him and a handful of others. This soundtrack, overall, is not as strong as his previous film, though. Aura is the main vehicle for the message of the film, a seeming angel, 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 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. Splurge on the big popcorn and try Fandango for tickets.
