CHERRY | THE FATHER | And some songs I enjoyed this week.
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 12/03/2021
Hello everyone! I hope you’re all well. Nothing much going on right now for me. But I’m super excited to be part of the SXSW Online Festival next week. It will be my first time converting it. And although I would definitely prefer to be getting ready to fly to Austin, I’m still very happy that the festival is happening and that I will be part of it. Anyway, this week I’m talking about a couple of movies, CHERRY, and THE FATHER. I didn’t find any good show to recommend this week but I started watching the new season of SNOWFALL today and I really liked what I have seen so far. I will probably write more about the show here when I finishing. watching the whole season. Have a great weekend!
FILMS
CHERRY
This movie is an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical novel by Nico Walke and follows its title character (Tom Holland) who is an Iraq veteran turned into a bank robber to feed his opioid addiction. it was directed by the Russo Brothers, who helmed one of the most popular films of all time (AVENGERS: ENDGAME) and stars Tom Holland, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and Ciara Bravo.
CHERRY is a strange film. It's not light-hearted enough for a romantic evening with your girlfriend, but it's still not too sad to ruin your day. I admire the Russos for depicting the real face of drug abuse rather than sugarcoating or romanticizing it. Tom's character goes through depression and struggles in the film, which makes you really feel for him. But the risks they took here don’t always pay off.
The performances in the film are incredible. Tom Holland and Ciara Bravo really delivered. And in just two hours of CHERRY, Holland displayed more versatility than many actors do in their entire careers. The cinematography was fascinating, too. I really liked what the cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel brought to the table. He created distinct looks for each chapter of the movie and I thought that was really cool. However, I thought the film was a bit long and sloppy.
For those who are unfamiliar with needles or drug use, the film can be difficult to watch. It feels so real that it made me feel uncomfortable at times. But overall, CHERRY is a good film, nothing spectacular though. And you should definitely see it if you have the opportunity.
THE FATHER
This is a story of a man who refuses any assistance from his daughter as he ages. And as he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind, and even the fabric of his reality.
Anthony Hopkins gives a masterful performance in this film. Probably his best since THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. You may think you've seen all that the veteran actor has to offer, but he never fails to amaze and surprise us. Olivia Colman, who plays Anthony's daughter, Anne, is also fantastic in the movie. She delivers a very sensitive, performance.
But I have to be honest here, the film is so depressing. It really bunned me out, However, it is a must-see. An alarming and unsettling look at aging as a senior citizen succumbs to dementia. The “all is a jumbled mess”, intentionally misleads the audience and will let you asking, "What is reality”. And the last five minutes featured some of the most powerful actings I've ever seen on film.
Top 5 songs
These were the 5 songs on my heavy rotation this week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.
1 - Electric Century - Till We're Gone
2 - THE BLOSSOM - SHAPESHIFTER
3 - Girl In Red - Serotonin
4 - Rare Americans - Adults or Kids?
5 - DREAMERS, American Teeth, Wes Period - Still Not Dead