Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. Ahem, Avengers.
There is so much hate towards this movie and honestly, I disagree with most of it. Maybe I was hypnotized by seeing Tom Holland in a role that was very unlike Spiderman, or maybe I just don’t watch many films like this one. Either way, I would not say this film was terrible in any respect. Unlike most people, I liked the structure of the film and the way it followed the characters as the story developed.
The plot twists and turns, the characters ebb and flow as their relationships and reality changes. At the base of this film is the realization that one decision, one split moment choice has the ability to change a person’s life for the better or for the worse.
Cherry (Tom Holland) is a troubled dude. He has been through a lot, losses and gains, and eventually those life choices lead to him spiraling out of control and taking all that he loves with him. His girlfriend Emily (Ciara Bravo) is his rock, she sticks beside him even when it would likely be better for her to leave and live her own life without him.
One of the aspects of this story that stood out to me is how young Cherry and Emily, yet they are dealing with so much. I am not sure how old the characters are supposed to be, but both Holland and Bravo look very young for their age, and that definitely effected how I perceived the story and their characters.
Conclusion
Honestly, I do not think that I would have watched this film if it was not directed by the Russo Brothers and it was not starring Tom Holland. This is not the genre I tend to gravitate towards and enjoy watching, but I learned a lot from watching this film. The story’s structure led me to think deeper about the screenplays I am writing and how I can change the structure to add meaning to the story and make it more impactful.
Overall, I feel undecided about this film. If I had to rate it, I would give it a 7/10. I don’t think it is Oscar worthy, but I also do not think that it is horrible and should never be watched again. Some of the reviews were so ruthless and it really surprised me how passionately some people hate this film.
*One thing that I have to note is how I do not have extensive knowledge and perspective on being overseas and dealing with the hardship of battle. In this respect, I cannot comment on the film. If people who have had these experiences say that this film does not do those experiences justice, then I think the directors and writer should have done more research before portraying the characters and story. That is their responsibility. But at the end of the day, no film is perfect (except maybe Dirty Dancing).
Read more about the film on IMDb. This film is available on Apple TV+.
Thanks for reading this review. I enjoyed this film and then I read all the bad reviews, so I felt like I had to get my thoughts out here. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my opinions. There is no right or wrong here.
A
Aloha Arianna 