#(context: i tricked myself into rewatching a film i really enjoy by making it a necessity for my schoolwork and now i am THINKING)

[starbuck]

the telltale sign that you've been watching good films is when you get legitimately confused by two-person relationships in media. Like. where's the third person? we need them.

[greenorangevioletgrass]

Ok I’ve settled and gathered my thoughts. Let’s talk Cherry.

For starters I normally keep a straight face when going into these kinds of movies, I mean I’ll cry and laugh when appropriate but I don’t always have physical reactions. Also I’ve heard many bts stories of Tom filming Cherry from extras and I read the book and the screenplay and obviously not everything made the final cut, stuff was cut out at one point or another. Yet this movie took me away.

The critics are doing their job of being analyzing everything and ran Cherry right over but I respectfully disagree. The Russo’s and Tom tried something far from their status quo of marvel and took many creative liberties with acting, music choices, camera shots, you name it. Notably for me in part 1 there’s a magical chime playing when Emily’s on screen to represent that feeling of love that later evolves in the future parts and the voice over being constant really matches this quiet kid who’s mainly a follower finally finding a purpose in Emily and leading himself towards her. And the brief scene with Madison was a forced focused like they said in one article; I forgot where Tom was in the brief moment she was dancing around like a stripper, basking in lustful attention from surrounding men and it was a suffocating shot. It was perfect.

Then comes the later use of opera music that reminded me of well opera. They go for hours and the music just plays and you wonder when will this tragic tale end which is what you wonder as this guy’s life just gets worsened with every step he takes apparently. Also since Tom mentioned this is a future Cherry looking back on his life, the people who are frozen in brief moments work well as though you’re recalling a memory and you find the main focus of that memory and everything else didn’t matter as much.

Next there’s the camera shots that I at first didn’t like when watching the clips. For me that was in the doctors office where it briefly cuts to the doctors face almost awkwardly but in the movie Cherry’s noticeably suffering and jittery at every sudden sound so that shot flowed better in a fuller context. And I loved Ciara, people are saying it’s a movie directed by men in the end so she was sexualized but she does have a baby face and was dressed so innocently. I think it worked in her favor, to see innocence be ripped away of this sweet looking character partially by her own self destructive behavior and being treated like a helpless thing that hid under her white ribbon and pretty pink outfits.

And lastly Tom. I love Tom, that’s what brought me to this movie. I know that goes against everything we’ve warned to others when choosing to watch but I was ready and then I wasn’t. When he cried, I cried because I can’t stand to see him like that. I didn’t fully separate himself from the character and that’s the Oscar winning trick there. Cherry isn’t named at all really, so yeah it’s one guys poor experience that might make you see yourself in him, or your friends or your family member(s) or for me, I saw Tom. I saw what could’ve happened if he wasn’t fortunate like he is today. I wept for him but I think that’s another point of view you could have seen if you didn’t see Tom, see a man who had potential but never knew how much greatness he could’ve achieved and where he will go now in his epilogue and hopefully find that he still has potential in his life. See a man that could represent your shadow side if you will.

There’s my piece and I’m so proud of Tom that once COVID is over I swear I want to tell him myself in person and weep all over again. How good was it for a possible five star rating?

🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒

Woah, that's a wonderful take nonnie!

I did rewatch the movie again, and I was more ready to watch it just to enjoy it this time. I definitely did watch it to scrutinize the first time.

The movie is so fucking long tho, I partly think this might work better as a limited series??? like a 30-40min episode a chapter, maybe?