The Color Purple
★★★ 1/2
The Color Purple is filled with amazing performances, breathtaking shots and wonderful music, but there is something just a little off-kilter that keeps it from being one of the best modern musicals. As a whole, I was enraptured by this world and story and was especially taken by some of the powerful imagery. It's been such a long time since I have seen Spielberg's version, but I remember it being pretty impactful and showcasing an amazing breakthrough role from Whoopi Goldberg. Fantasia Barrino seamlessly takes over this memorable performance with fervor and force and is surrounded by a terrific supporting cast. Danielle Brooks and Colman Domingo both have an argument for being recognized for their work, as well as Louis Gossett Jr., who commands your attention the few times he is on screen.
The problem is that director Blitz Bazawule doesn't know what kind of movie musical this story needs to be. At times it goes into a fantasy world similar to Chicago, other times it has massive choreographed dance numbers like In the Heights. More often than not, it takes the approach of being a true form of a stage-to-screen musical where the actors are singing directly to us. All these scenes are effective in themselves, but when strung together, there was an inconsistency and rigidness that took me out of the story too many times. This is a shame because the story of Celie's struggle towards independence is memorable and effective.
