Cherry Crush

Not bad at all, but not quite as good as I was expecting from the comments here. Jonathan Tucker does his best Toby Maguire in this story about a privileged young photographer who gets mixed up with a girl from the wrong side of the tracks.

As I watched this movie I tried to figure out what separates it from The Crush with Alicia Silverstone or Devil in the Flesh with Rose McGowan. While not directly analogous, those movies have the same type of noir lite feeling to them. But the difference is, aside from the fact that this movie really strives for believability and has decent writing, that those movies had lead actresses that really crackled on screen. I mean, you knew you were going to be seeing more of Alicia Silverstone after The Crush, or at least you should be.

Not so with Nikki Reed. She does a nice enough job and there's a restrained quality to her performance--to this whole movie really--that works well. (Too often this type of movie veers toward gushy melodrama and Cherry Crush manages to rein that in.) But again, Ms. Reed is not a show stopper. In fact, I found myself more interested in Julie Gonzalo on screen, even though she's got the boring, goody two shoes role.

What's worse is that there's no real chemistry between Reed and Tucker.

With that said, this movie has some nice touches. The high school seems especially real. The idea of being privileged is handled with respect, not given a superficial treatment. The second half of the movie becomes more involving than you expect and the ending is believable.

Overall, I liked it. But I wouldn't be surprised if I see it in the video store soon. It's better than some USA movie, but it's not quite ready for movie theaters either.

I liked Cherry Crush very much. Wonderful writing, with a cast filled with known and up and coming stars. Nikki Reed(Shay) from the O.C. and Jonathan Tucker(Jordan) from The Black Donnely's give memorable performances within dialogue that makes you think as well as entertains. Michael O'Keefe(Detective Griffin) was the perfect choice. He calmly delivers piercing lines and commentary making you feel uncomfortable like a good detective should. Cherry Crush grabs your attention right from the opening credits and never lets go. I also love where the movie title comes from. Nice touch! Cherry Crush is a job well done for a film company new to the scene.

Although CHERRY CRUSH involves murder and cops, it is not a crime thriller or murder mystery. Instead, it is a character study of an affluent teenager who aspires to a career in photography until he falls for one of his subjects, a fellow student from the wrong side of the tracks looking for the big score. In order to make the big score, she needs to bump off her current lover, a married adult who should know better. She involves the photographer in her scheme and before you know it, we're looking at a teen-oriented reworking of DOUBLE INDEMNITY, or for you younger readers, BODY HEAT. No suspense, unfortunately. And the gal with murder and larceny in mind is played by a nonactor named Nikki Reed. In fact, the girl next door in this movie, played by Julie Gonzalo, was far more intriguing. The young photographer is played by Jonathan Tucker, who gives a passable performance. A couple of the adult actors were instantly recognizable: Frank Whaley is the philandering adult with lots of money, and Michael O'Keefe is a corrupt detective with money and murder on his mind. The art crowd might enjoy this; it clearly was not intended for cineplexes.

I liked the story and would recommend it to almost anyone. It's not a romantic comedy, but there is some dark comedy and some suspenseful romance. The movie is a suspense overall and has some unique plot twists. It was great to see this movie in the theater. It definitely enhanced the scenery and suspense. The characters were edgy. The movie left me with an eerie feeling. It was impossible to know whether the two main characters, Jordan and Shay, would pull out of their destructive situation or dig themselves in deeper. The characters are in high school, but put themselves in circumstances that would lead you to believe they are older. This isn't that far fetched given the background of the two. Jordan is a rich kid, who's been kicked out of his previous high school photographing his coeds naked and he has a controlling, demanding father that just wants to groom him for success and power. Shay lives with her sister who is rarely home and is apparently a junkie. The two are intelligent and scheming; with Shay being more of the later, but it is Shays stunning looks and aloof demeanor that attract Jordan.

This movie is beautiful to look at. Rochester has been transformed into a real live movie venue but that's where the professionalism ends. The story line and characters are under developed and poorly written. Despite the voice over you never learn what dastardly deed the lead character did to turn him into a bad boy and get expelled from private school. The photos he shoots of his love interest are slick, professional and commercially beautiful but don't reveal anything more than a glam shot from a slick magazine does. I kept wanting to see some gritty, 18 year old's idea of honesty, something cutting-edge, and I never got it. I never believe that his family is pressuring him into a life he doesn't want and the women around him look an awful lot like they're from Greece, NY not some fantasy Film Noir landscape.

The entire film noir aspect of the film is only defined by the great music track. The script and visuals are in constant conflict with the premise of the murder mystery. The writing never gives the viewer enough details to provide a great ahh-ha moment at the films end.

The amused audience seemed more interested in catching their own faces and spotting Java Joe's product placement than on the quality of the story. The film looks great but just doesn't deliver.