I finally watched Cherry, and it's not as bad as the haters say it is. I hate the haters. Just as much as the subject matter of the war, the pharmaceutical industry, and the broken system the ruins lives. I wonder what it truly is that made people so uncomfortable and judgmental towards this film, because I really enjoyed it. Yes it has cool flashy shots, yes it has Spiderman, and yes it was directed by the two most successful (and profitable) Marvel directors of the last decade, but it was still able to convey Nico Walker's story to people who would otherwise not know it was a novel based on his life. Perhaps like me, the subject matter itself might have triggered an internal unconscious angst to get mad at not the filmmakers and production itself. I feel like in a way, the film is successful in making you feel the tragedy of this man's life.

Cherry felt fresh, and I like watching new content to see what can be brought to the table. The crane and drones shots in this wear mesmerizing and colourful, adding a certain hue to an otherwise bleak and tragic story. I think in a way, all of the cinematic nuances of technical merit help to uplift the raw and uncomfortable realism that Walker faced in his experiences of the war, the PTSD and, addition and aftermath of robbery, and eventual incarceration. I do want to finish the book, as I was only part way through reading it before watching the film, but I'm sure the layers and details in the novel give more brevity to what can be shown in a two hour film. But I liked the way the Russo brothers were able to visually tell the story, the use of montage helped to expediate some of the experiences and jump cuts added to the weight of showcasing both the monotonous existential drag of his time in the war, but also how the lucid state of the drugs and PTSD influence upon his life. I feel like these were effective methods to express the harshness of the situation, though stylized and poppy, it was an interesting medium to experience in high definition, as opposed to remembering such classics like Requiem for a Dream or Trainspotting, which are still by far the top of the line of drug and addiction films for me, along with Candy, which I feel Cherry should tip their hat to for paving the way for love story heroin addiction films I have seen that have given significant influence to my cinematic consciousness.

As those films too presented that raw truth in being shot on film in what seems like another time, Cherry, which I'll have to say I assume was shot digitally with the best cameras money can buy, presents this new caliber of showcasing a post 9/11 world. I can't seem to recall too many recent films about the Iraq War shot this way. Apple's films all are shown with this epic 4K cinematic brilliance, which has this sparkle, this glimmer of a flashy, look at how beautiful we can get these films out as, so you should subscribe to our streaming rather than others, though I appreciate the quality, it may in a way cause an imbalance to the stories or subject matters to look a little too fresh. It's hard to feel the rawness of drug addiction and the opiod crisis when everyone looks stunning in HD, there are gorgeous sweeping crane shots and besutiful colours and textures even in the darkest and more raw situations presented on screen, which like I said, might add a little brevity to the bleak subject matter, but like Requiem for a Dream, if it's bleak, make it feel bleak, take the audience on the journey to feel what the characters feel.

Cherry does it in this unique way, which shouldn't go against the production value, and talent of the creative team, because the story otherwise wouldn't be seen by as many people as it can be if it was a low value, lesser quality film. The fact that the Russo Brothers could share Walker's novel and have enough passion for it to make it their first film post Avengers Endgame is showcasing something as to why they want audiences to see it, which I feel presents itself in the subtleties throughout the film.

Though it may look like it, this is not a glamorous film. In no way was Nico Walker intending to have his story be some beautiful thing that would one day be a book and movie deal on Apple. The fact that he had survived these experiences in the first place is a blessing all its own, because the war is not pretty, PTSD is not pretty, addiction, criminality and incarceration are not fun stories to tell. It is a rough life, and what did make it all worth while is the heart at the center which is the love story. The love shown between the main characters proves to be the driving force of all the tragedies that merit the journey, perhaps in a way it's what kept him alive to tell the tale, whether Emily in the story was based on a real love interest of Walker, for the film it serves the basis of that affection that keeps Cherry going through the slog of his unfortunate life and the choices made along the way. There's a beautiful contrast of augmenting the beauty of Emily, in the slow-motion close ups, raised lighting and overall brilliance of her in flashbacks, to the stark horrors faced in the military, war and post war life. It's very clear the way the Russo Brothers are framing their position, and perhaps Walker's position too of the whole military industrial complex, and it's shown both in the blasting realism of the in your face military sargents that explode with toxic masculinity outlining the decades of trauma and abuse instilled upon soldiers of war, to the subtle but presentable graphics of name tags like "Dr. Whomever" that prescribes Oxycontin, to the "Bank Fucks America" or "Shitty Bank" titles and various bank names that showcase the broken monetary system of power and wealth in the world as well. A natural progression is shown in how this system sets up recruits to fail and be broken down from the get-go all in hope and belief of "protectiving their great nation." This is not an industry of saviours but of a greedy corporatocracy that keeps the machine turning with business as usual, whether it's war, drugs or prisons, the lack of actual nurture and care is undervalued by the power that pushes the green $. That is the sickness that needs healing, and in my opinion is the underlying feeling of uncomfortable hate and vindictive malice that seems to have been thrown at this film, when it is simply showcasing how it is, the truth is stranger than fiction and it's a hard pill to swallow...so let's just get you some other pills that will make things worse.

I wonder if there is a political angle to be played in all of this, which with Hollywood you know there always is. If this wasnt a film made by the Russo's Brothers, who just happened to make the biggest box-office Avengers movie of all time, if it wasn't bought by Apple, if it didn't have Spiderman in a lead role playing a drug addict, of it didn't have the high production glits and glam, that it would be appreciated differently. I always feel like if a film showcases a percentage of truth to what the world really is, and triggers something to the consciousness of the sickness that plagues it, there will be a large push to make sure people plunge it into a grave quicker before more people can see what it's trying to actually do for its viewers. Because there is a lot to like about this film. 

Tom Holland and Ciara Bravo are great. The acting, emotion, and chemistry between them is rich and layered. There are a lot of beautiful subtle moments captured on screen between them, and I admired the depths Holland has begun to show in what seems like his first shift from the Spiderman franchise. Though he still looks young on screen and has many strong years ahead of him, this shows that he's only getting started in his abilities to be a wonderful cinematic actor. Though at times it may feel forced or provoked in his emotional range, it was nice to see him explore these places. His nuances have definitely honed in and he seems to get better with each film. But his truth still remains to be seen, which always comes with age. As this is the first film in seeing Bravo in, I would say that I'm thoroughly impressed by what she brought to the story. She is clearly beautiful and talented, and it will be interesting to see what she will do in the future, as long as she doesn't get typecasted into these similar "girl next door love interest" types and pushes for multidimensional woman to play, but again, it comes with age and experience. The perspective that these are empty characters with nothing to feed on which I've read from other reviews is a negative portrayal for what seemed like hard work from this wonderful team. As an actor I can understand the hours placed into a project like this, and my constant hate -which I don't like using at all - is towards critics thst dismiss and move on, they say their piece, and go on to the next. For me films live in my blood, it buries into my DNA, and if it is successful at doing it's job it will live with me for some time, if I love it, I watch it again, and again.

I appreciated these two stars for bringing their work to the forefront, as well as the entire production and creative team to bring this story to life. I have a lot to digest with what came through for me, which is a lot more than most films being churned out by Netflix lately, no offense, but it's tough to find good quality gems in a sea of vines, luckily Cherry is one I was glad I picked, and I'm sure will get sweeter with age, and a wider spectrum of eyes to see and taste what it has to offer. 

Cherry is streaming on AppleTV now.