Purple Beatz – Movie Review
Director: Lola Atkins
Writer: Lola Atkins (Screenplay)
Cast
- Erika Alexander
- Izzy Jones
- Steven Michael-O’Hara
- Richard Bobb-Semple
- Steve Shirley
Plot: Coming of age/love story set in London in the 90s drum’n bass scene.
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Purple Beatz starts when Sarah-Jane (Jones) moves to London where her friend Deedee (Alexander) lets her stay. She is encouraged to express her singing talent, meeting Airbeats (Michael-O’Hara) along the way. Sarah-Jane gets an offer from a record producer Russell Douglas (Andrian) and she jumps at the chance.
Not long into her contract, Sarah-Jane starts getting pushed into the temptations the music industry creates. She gets put in a position where she is performing the music she isn’t interested in and spiralling out of control. Or return to her roots and get back to what brought out her passion.
Verdict on Purple Beatz
Characters
Sarah Jane is an aspiring singer moving away from her home town to London. It doesn’t take long before she turns heads with her performances in small venues, getting tied down to a contract. She finds herself being drawn into the temptation the industry offered in the 90s, finding herself in a dangerous place. The Sarah Jane character represents so many young musicians who were mistreated by their management in the 90s.
Deedee is Sarah Jane’s best friend that offers her a place to stay while she finds her feet. She takes her around town to meet people and set up her life, as well as being there when needed.
Russell Douglas is the producer manager that offers Sarah Jane a break in the industry. He treats the world like a giant party, being reckless and pushing his talents in directions they don’t want to go.
Airbeats is a love interest for Sarah Jane, meeting in a romantic way and offering to show her around the town from a different point of view. He does become one of the most supportive people in Sarah Jane’s life.
Performances
Izzy Jones is great in the leading role of the movie, from the perfect singing performances to the emotional off-stage material she brings to life. In the supporting cast, everyone does a great job throughout the movie, bringing us back to the 90s.
Story
The story follows a young musician that moves to London to try and have a big break. She finds herself with a nice set-up and getting pushed into the music career she desperately wants. Only to learn that not everything is as smooth as it seems.
The story is one that we have seen many times before, a musician gets dragged into a world they don’t want to be part of. Forced to do things they weren’t expecting and seeing their potential career spiral out of control. It is a tried and tested formula that works very well in the industry, this doesn’t offer too much difference but does everything right.
Themes
Purple Beatz is a drama with a sprinkle of romance about the 90s music scene in London. It shows how the old meeting to find love can spark the most interesting moments of people’s lives. The London setting is always good for the chaos thrown together. One big complaint is more a personal one, the film constantly calls Bournemouth ‘The Sticks’ which it clearly isn’t and as someone from that town, it is a seaside resort.
Final Thoughts – Purple Beatz is a brilliant look back at the 90s music industry and the dangers it can hold.