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doomonfilm · 3 years

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Review : Cherry (2021)

I can be extremely fickle when it comes to my streaming service viewing, particularly if it becomes too difficult to be able to watch the film on a TV rather than a computer, phone or tablet. This specific issue is the exact reason why a number of AppleTV+ films have not gotten attention from me, even when I was diving deep into the awards season fodder from the previous year. Eventually, however, I decided that letting my yearlong free subscription to AppleTV+ lapse without so much as taking a peek at what they had to offer was foolish, so I went ahead and broke the seal on the highly acclaimed streaming service, with Cherry being my proper gateway cinematic drug (irony intended).

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Stress, depression, trauma and ruminations on manhood are nothing new to the world of cinema, but Cherry has a special way of pulling the viewer deep into the depths of the titular character’s lovelorn descent that, through a chain of bad choices and unfortunate events, becomes an addiction fueled by crime. Seeing that Cherry is a book adaptation, the Russo Brothers wisely separate the film into similarly corresponding chapters that illustrate Cherry’s continually punishing experiences that ultimately break his spirit and change him, with each chapter managing to have a distinct feel while still maintaining a sense of connectivity and coherence. While the film is based around Nico Walker’s time as a medic in Iraq around 2005-2006, there is a certain air of timelessness that the film broadcasts, as if Cherry and those who occupy his world are archetypes of ever-existing cycles that permeate from generation to generation, despite people’s allusions and assumptions about the trouble-free golden eras of yesteryear. Similar to how it can be hard at times to pin down a specific era that the film takes place in, it is also a bit disorienting to see actors so young portraying characters hardened by PTSD and drug use.

The general sense of despair that hangs over Cherry is extremely palatable, like humidity on an overly hot summer day. Be it the college days, basic training and active duty or the return home to married life, even the highlights play out like slow-motion nightmare fuel, as if they are harbingers to incoming negative experiences. The idea of what constitutes valor is set up brilliantly through Cherry’s brutally honest observations about himself and his so-called “heroic” actions prior to rotating back into the world, as his disenchantment and disconnection born from survivor’s guilt make it hard for him to accept any praise that may come his way. This tethered guilt that Cherry carries around like an anchor weighs so heavy on him that it not only causes him to look for escape and hope via opioids, but it pulls Emily down into the muck and mire with him.

The Russo Brothers are extremely adept at setting a clear mood and tone in their content, and Cherry continues this practice with its slightly desaturated color-timing that makes the film look like an old photograph (which is taken to extremes at times). The cinematography moves around like a curious party sneaking around as if trying to get the best look possible without being noticed, with the occasional spat of curiosity leading to the camera inserting itself directly in the center of events. Moments of highly charged emotion are punctuated at times by extremely artistic images akin to moving paintings, such as Emily’s subtext about abuse when speaking about her father, or Cherry’s anxiety about Emily’s departure. The Russo Brothers have a very expressive use of titles in the film, be they the red-hued images that separate the chapters of the film or the impactful capitalized red letters that appear on occasion. The balance of the small handful proper soundtrack cues and the extremely moody score help punctuate the most brutally emotional moments of the narrative with their subtle but powerful presence. There are also quite a few surprising moments of humor that randomly pop up in the midst of this extremely jarring look into the lives of junkies and desperate people.

Tom Holland straddles the line between boyish innocence and a sinister darkness that bubbles just below the surface, and he centers this stance with a sort of snakelike focus that is equal parts intimidating and unsettling. Clara Bravo channels a similar energy, but instead of her thoughts racing a million miles an hour, she is driven by reactionary emotion that forces her to look for the most extreme solution to minor problems and non-issues, with this fear-based whimsy being the catalyst for Cherry’s journey. Holland’s character is purposefully reluctant to show his true colors during his tour of duty, so Jeff Wahlberg steps in as Jimenez to personify how truly fear-inducing combat can be, especially for someone with a family at home and everything to lose. Jose Pablo Cantillo, Damon Wayans Jr., Pooch Hall and Adam Long, among others, show the hardened nature of full-time soldiers who have detached themselves from the grim realities of war in order to function on a seemingly normal level. These energies are offset by the likes of Sam Clemmett, Kaine Zajaz, Edward Kagutuzi, Ola Orediyi and the host of other young actors who play Holland’s eager but ignorant peers. Michael Gandolfini does a good job of portraying an extreme version of the pain that Holland displays in a slow burn fashion. Supporting appearances by Jack Reynor, Michael Rispoli, Forrest Goodluck, Kyle Harvey, Thomas Lennon, Kelli Berglund and many others help keep the world of Cherry visceral, volatile and purposefully uncomfortable.

While it doesn’t quite reach the same depressing depths, Cherry is the most brutal depiction of drug addiction and the type of life it leads to since Requiem for a Dream, though it does nearly meet the same level of visual style and heartbreaking beauty. I haven’t seen many films yet this year that have elicited a “this will win awards” reaction (to my knowledge), so allow me to declare this one as the first, be it for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing or maybe even a Best Actor nod for Tom Holland (though I doubt he will get nominations this early in his career). I definitely messed up waiting this long to watch Cherry, but that being said, I am very excited to see what other surprises that AppleTV+ holds in store for me.

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doomonfilm · 4 years

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Thoughts : I See You (2019)

One of the silver linings about spending my days working at my warehouse position is the benefit of good conversation with my coworkers. You learn a lot about the human condition, you find yourself open to different viewpoints you may not have considered previously, and on occasion, you receive good recommendations for music and movies. My office neighbor and myself have been trading film recommendations and opinions recently, and he scored a direct hit when he told me to watch I See You.

When a ten year old boy mysteriously vanishes after biking alone in a local park, Detective Greg Harper (Jon Tenney) is assigned lead on the case. Spitzky (Gregory Alan Williams), his partner on the case, immediately sees connections to a previously unsolved kidnapping, which is unsettling to both detectives. Harper is further troubled by the situation in his home : his wife Jackie (Helen Hunt) was recently involved in a tryst with former lover Todd (Sam Trammell), which she deeply regrets. Her situation is worsened by the fact that she is not only being harshly judged by her husband, but by her son Connor (Judah Lewis) as well. With so much turmoil in the family home teetering on the edge, it only becomes a matter of time before everyone’s sanity is pushed to the limit, and with the help of outside forces and old ghosts in the form of family secrets, the Harper family finds themselves crumbling in spectacular fashion.

When people talk about the thriller/suspense genre, it is films like this that exemplify the structure they speak of. The tension in this film is seemingly infinite but extremely taut, with string after string of information introduced that furthers the symbolic pulling to an almost explosive point. On top of this tension, there is a rich tapestry of broken character relationships and shifting dynamics of morally-based power dynamics that keeps the viewer unsure of whom to root for, with only varying degrees of bad presented to us rather than clear good and bad characters. To further the collective madness of both the story participants and the viewer, seeds are planted through dialogue and actions that make you question the reality of the film initially, but no seed planted is left unattended.

As these seeds of information bud in front of our eyes, the story genre seems to shift... from a sort of murder mystery with touches of a horror film, to a psychological thriller, with a brief stint in a found footage film, to becoming a story of the collective exorcising of demons, both personal and social. With so many spinning plates at hand, an amazing job is done of shifting the audiences’ emotional base from character to character, only to turn your emotional expectations on their head as you learn more about the situation presented. Similar to the viewer experience, this narrative presentation provides the characters with trust and moral high ground that shifts like a hot potato between those involved.

The camerawork in this film is masterful, with the camera serving as a floating, invasive spirit at times, and as a fly on the wall at others, with moves and setups very reminiscent of properties like Breaking Bad or A Ghost Story. In turn, as the lofty narrative begins to find itself presented by the factual information revealed in the progress of the story, the camera gets more intimate and grounded, while still keeping its invader-like presence. As mentioned several times, the narrative keeps on giving right through the closing moments, with every character evolving and changing in regards to their base natures and the events laid out in front of them.

Helen Hunt wonderfully played all the proper victim/victimized character beats, only to find herself strangely validated in the most rewarding ways due to the previously mentioned strong writing. Jon Tenney uses what feels like resentment to subtly ratchet up the suspense, only for it to be revealed as a much darker set of motivators. Judah Lewis allows his youth to drive the emotion he displays to the point that the pulling of the narrative strings also serves as a huge moment of abrupt clarity for him. Libe Barer performs as a fly jumping into various webs, with no idea that she is carrying the spider along in the form of Owen Teague. Supporting performances by Gregory Alan Williams and Erika Alexander also stand out, with Sam Trammell getting the opportunity to play purposely ridiculous for a brief moment of dark levity.

Independent gems like these are always a pleasant discovery, and in my opinion, serve as the true lifeblood of the film industry. Maybe one day, directors will rule like they did in the 1970s, and films like I See You will be box office successes in the same scope that they are wonderfully executed works of independent art. I am only hoping that, in sharing my views on the film, I have not revealed too much, and that your experience with it during your first viewing will be as rewarding as mine was.

#ChiefDoomsday #DOOMonFILM #ISeeYou #AdamRandall #HelenHunt #JonTenney #JudahLewis #OwenTeague #LibeBarer #GregoryAlanWilliams #ErikaAlexander #AllisonKing #AdamKern #SamTrammell #JeremyGladen #TeriClark #NicoleForester

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