Writer & Photography: Georgia Lay
This weekend two of our members went to see Cherry (2022) at Pyramid theatre within our University Union, as part of the INDIs film festival.
Here is Georgia’s, our Head of Filmmaking, thoughts on the film.
Cherry (2022) is the directorial debut of Sophie Galibert following twenty-something protagonist Cherry as she has twenty-four hours to make a life-changing decision. This coming-of-age film, set within the cinematic backdrops of LA, is an arguably more realistic and less dramatic take on the current popular feminist film focusing on birth control, contraception and abortion.
The film begins with Cherry’s positive pregnancy test and a trip to the doctors confirming that within the state of California she only has twenty-four hours left if she wishes to do an abortion by pill, a much cheaper and less intimate procedure than a surgical abortion.
As Cherry spends the next day trying to decide how she wants to handle the pregnancy, the audience meet her boyfriend, friends, employer and family. We watch and learn how each element of her life is frayed and complicated caused by her chaotic personality and her weak determination to grow up.
Undoubtedly, the strongest point of Cherry is the visual elements. Each shot beautifully captures the LA scenery with pastel colours juxtaposing Cherry’s bright and bold red outfits and glittery rollerblades, representing how she is a tornado in each of her relationships. These stunning contrasts make her moments of vulnerability that much more real, seeing her façade crack, split by the weight of the decision she must make. Although the film could have benefitted from some stronger character development and plot depth, Cherry’s moments in the doctor’s office and argument with Nick, her boyfriend, standout as heart-wrenching for the audience, reminding the watcher of the painful confusion of her position. A particular favourite shot for me is with her employer, the owner of the costume shop, where the camera has used a mirror to show Cherry charming the owner showing his pretend annoyance and her playful ways. The symbolic use of the mirror represents to the audience how this personality of Cherry’s is a barricade as she attempts to cover up her fear of the news she has just received and her urgency to keep her job.
For fans of Plan B (2021) or Lady Bird (2017) this film will bring you stunning aesthetics whilst sharing a pinprick moment in our protagonist’s chaotic life and inviting you in to face the moments of heartbreak and understanding with her.