Purple Rain

Running time: 111 minutes

This legendary movie is at once a thinly veiled Prince biopic, an '80s glam-fest, and a glorious celebration of what might just be that decade’s greatest pop album.

The Kid (Prince) seems destined for rock superstardom, but his growing arrogance and erratic behaviour are alienating him from the band, and his violent father (Williams) looms like a spectre of what The Kid himself might one day become. When his girlfriend Apollonia (Kotero) leaves him for another singer, his hated rival Morris (Day), The Kid has nothing to turn to but his music to help him overcome his demons, defeat his rival and get the girl.

The plot is an archetypal tale of teen angst and rock-star ambition, but the film’s sumptuous visuals, intense dialogue and blistering live performances of songs from the Purple Rain album make it a genuine rock-cinema masterpiece.

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