Under the Cherry Moon (1986)

Powerful

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Are you a movie goer looking for visuals to admire? then Under the Cherry Moon will apply. Do you enjoy movies containing soundtracks of musical excellent, of course subjective to your musical taste, Under the Cherry Moon should apply again. However if you want a strong narrative and solid characterisation then lower your expectations as Under the Cherry Moon delivers poorly.As two Gigolo's swindling their way through Paris, Christopher (Prince) and Tricky (Jerome Benton) are searching for the perfect payoff. This is found in young Heiress Mary Sharon (Kristen Scott Thomas) who the promiscuous pair soon target. However their initial plan of exploiting Mary's wealth diminishes as Christopher falls in love thus beginning a whirlwind romance against her controlling Father's wishes. The plot summary may sound reasonably structured yet Under the Cherry Moon took on too many genres repelling any sense of focus. Not that mixing generic concepts has not achieved success for other films but Under the Cherry Moon is not amongst them. The comical scenes juxapositioned with high melodrama was narratively disjointed.This is rooted in Under the Cherry Moon's characterisation. Focusing upon Christopher and Tricky's personalities neither one had substance. Since they were the primary characters there should have been an aspect which makes audiences side with them. Instead the majority of Under the Cherry Moon is spent highlighting their self-interest or knack of comedic sensibilities when faced with problems. For a dramatic narrative it becomes ludicrous especially upon the film's latter half becomes dedicated to philosophical ideas. Realising Mary is his soul mate Christopher engages the notion of their eternal bonding, even after he's exposed as a fraud, leading them to a melodramatic climax. Despite this attempt at dealing with consequences of the characters, in Under the Cherry Moon's wider context it was wholly inadequate.So it there anything worthy to note? Yes there is. As previously stated the visuals have to be admired with Michael Ballhaus' cinematography providing stylishly crisp images. Unsurprisingly Prince succeeded in provided his own style. The flamboyant attire conveyed essences of a gigolo persona, shame his characterisation had no calibre. A final positive was Under the Cherry Moon's soundtrack provided by Prince & the Revolution containing songs of their 1986 album Parade. A personal highlight being 'Girls & Boys' when Christopher interrupts a party to impress Mary and audiences alike with ecstatic dance moves. Though this cannot excuse the wider flaws which made Under the Cherry Moon generally subpar.

Behind the swathes of purple, there was a dead serious story about damaged domesticity and teenage rage at the heart of Purple Rain. So for the feature follow-up, it's understandable that the electro-rock-RnB maestro should aim for a lighter tone. If anything, this romantic comedy encapsulates the Prince persona - sexy, funny, sweet and sentimental - more accurately than its Oscar-winning predecessor. Gone is the concert film structure and in comes the screwball slapstick, set against an ostentatious and anachronistic Riviera backdrop, which isn't the '30s, and even farther from the '80s.You can decry the acting and the script, neither of which rises above functional, and the echoing vacuity of it all, but to condemn the film for being a vanity project is empty in itself. It's like complaining when a Peckinpah movie goes slow-mo, or lamenting that the Farrelly Brothers' latest work isn't Bergmanesque enough. You get predictable treasures with a Prince movie: barrels of fun, colourful characters (even in black and white), great music, and an ego the size of Montmartre - and Under the Cherry Moon is the richest trove of the lot.

This is the only movie (I own) that I see again and again and again. The music is classic. the "color" is stylish. The plot is great. Prince is too cool for words. There is even times when you just have to laugh at the one-liners. Even the first 5 minutes is hilarious. Jerome (Tricky) is a compliment to Prince and you can tell they had too much fun making this movie. Give her that Bella Leguosi look! Everything is timed well, and since it had been released in DVD finally I can put my old VHS tape to rest. Sure there are some corny lines and comedy thrown in to a serious movie, but that's Prince. You will be surprised how much of a funny guy he is.

A lot of people don't seem to like this movie. For instance, it bombed at the box office, critics dissed it, & it was nominated for (& won) a few Razzies. Even today, people don't see this movie for the gem it truly is...& it's quite a shame, really."Under The Cherry Moon" is one of my favorite movies, much less my favorite Prince movies. There are many funny scenes & lines that keep me busting up into hysterics! (But I won't give any away--YOU have to see them yourself.) The only thing I found disappointing about this movie was that Prince's character Christopher was killed at the end. I didn't think it was a very appropriate ending for a comedy movie, not to mention it made me cry a little...But other than that, this movie is perfect for watching when you're in a foul mood, or just need a good laugh. Do trust me, it's not as bad as people say it is!