The Color Purple

Celie's life across four decades after bearing two children to a man she believed was her father and the ensuing abuse, cruelty, and bigotry she suffered.

It's incongruent that this story of hardship and woe is presented as a musical, not that there's anything wrong with the soundtrack per se. The songs are rhythmic and energetic but fail to complement the story content. Purple might be the shade of the protagonist's bruises, but the colour also represents power, spirituality, mystery and magic; the production swirls with all these elements, underpinned by a strong cast. It almost works, falling somewhere between tears and triumph. Imperfectly purple.

Wide Release 22nd February 2024
Universal Pictures 141 mins