6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A drama centered on a troubled young woman who moves to San Francisco, where she gets involved in pornography and aligns herself with a cocaine-addicted lawyer.
Starring: Ashley Hinshaw, Lili Taylor, Dev Patel, Heather Graham, James FrancoDark humor | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
If “About Cherry” actually contained a story concerning the leading lady known as Cherry, it would be a far more enlightening picture. Possibly even great. Instead, the movie is a drippy, incomplete effort from first-time director Stephen Elliot, who has a functional idea to drill deep inside the scattered mind of an aspiring adult film actress battling the desperate reality of her life, yet he lacks the concentration required to shape these acidic experiences into a cohesive tale of panty-dropping enlightenment. The feature is all over the place, spending valuable screen time with vague, feeble characters and implausible personal exchanges, resulting in a muddled, frustratingly inconsequential journey of a surprisingly unsympathetic character and her hazy ride to the slippery top of the porno food chain.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is somewhat restrained by the HD cinematography, which carries expected limitations in terms of softness, detail, and depth of blacks. Colors are by and large quite healthy and vivid, with a powerful punch of red popping off deep lipstick and sensual costuming, while adult film gear supplies a rainbow of hues to enjoy. Domestic scenes maintain a cooler palette, but remain strong. Skintones are in good shape, communicating a natural pinkness with faces, while more amorous scenes preserve full-blooded appeal. Fine detail is satisfactory for this type of low-impact movie, great with the textures of skin and the particulars of costuming, while interiors offer expressive decoration to survey. Shadow detail is largely stable, with some thickening during low-lit encounters. Noise is adequately managed, but some pixelation is detected.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't contain much in the way of enormity. It's a modest film with a modest mix, carrying itself with confidence much of the way. There's very little surround activity to provide a circular hold, with the rear primarily reserved for faint outdoor atmospherics and the occasional group commotion. Club scenes bring out the full force of the mix, detailing the heavy thump of soundtrack selections, which provide a considerable low-end presence to rumble along with the music. Instrumentation on scoring and dance hits is quite good, isolating intended emotional cues, never overpowering the other elements. Dialogue exchanges are secure and full, avoiding the pain of distorted notes with extremes of temper. For an indie picture, the track offers what it can, remaining mostly reserved but communicative with the basics.
Salacious details are missing from "About Cherry," which takes a softcore approach to hardcore matters, relying on ample nudity from Hinshaw to soften issues of discomfort by placing attention on camera seduction, making the viewer a spectator to the erosion of innocence. If only the script had such lofty ambitions to remain with Angelina and her rise in the porno ranks, actually taking the temperature of her life as she escalates her commitment to the gig. Instead, there's only a shadow of experience to study, with the cop-out ending straining to reach a cyclical position of responsibility without earning the arc. There's nothing interesting to "About Cherry" beyond Angelina, rendering Elliot's dramatic interests insignificant, especially when it competes for screen time with something as visually and dramatically charged as the birth of a porn queen.
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