Cherrybomb (2009)

Instant Favorite.

Great Film overall

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

A pretty girl enters in the lives of two friends who might fight one against the other to see who'll be with her in "Cherrybomb". The good guy Malachy (Rupert Grint) and the bad boy Luke (Robert Sheehan) are these opposites forces who work well together; the first is a responsible student who also works in a gym run by Crilly (James Nesbitt), father of the sexy girl; the second is totally out of control, who lives the sex, drugs and rock n'roll motto ,never knowing what to do with his life. Then comes Michelle (Kimberley Nixon) who joins them in wild parties, night outs, provoking both of these guys who are so up for her. The story follows in a well humored manner, sometimes a little bit depressive (specially concerning about Luke's family with his constantly drunken dad) but as we are told right from the start, the trio is heading to tragic events. First thing that came to my mind while watching "Cherrybomb" was a subtle correlation with "Something Wild" (1986) with a certain extra thing but never getting to the same level. Here, there's a wild girl messing with the life of a good boy, teasing a bad one and giving lots of trouble to her father, who is trying to adapt his routine to be with her since the mom doesn't want anything with her. I guess one could say this is a teen version of Demme's film but without the energy, the smartness and the rich soundtrack of the classic American film. It lacks a certain appeal in the story, one that makes you deeply care about the characters involved (completed with a lack of answers at the conclusion).And if the movie worths a view it's mainly of its great cast of actors giving their usual treat which is always good. Grint never fails delivering the nice guy performance; Sheehan has an born ability to play troubled characters who has an dark yet hilarious sense of humor constantly thrown on the other characters much for our delight (the best of show, really! Plus, he's very cute!); and the girl has the right quality to make those boys go nuts for her doing all she wants them to do.It's not special as it seems to be nor funny, dangerous and bold as it could be, or even longer (screentime was needed). If you need entertainment and some laughs this is the film you look for, complete; more than those goals you won't get, it's just half right with its message. 8/10

Like most of you, I am a Harry Potter fan and stumbled upon this movie while seeing what Rupert Grint was up to. I thought he was easily the most talented actor of the trio, and was curious to where his career would go - Emma Watson has modeling and fashion, Dan Radcliffe seems to be doing Broadway and other types of media.Anyway, The movie is centered around two best friends - Malachy (Grint) and Luke (Sheehan). They live a regular yet drug-infused life of a teenager. Malachy is a loved son with responsibility and a job. Luke, however, is the product of a broken home and as a result is left by himself for the most part - fueling the chaos. Malachy's boss' daughter, Michelle, comes to live with him and the two friends immediately fight for her. The love between the friends is obvious throughout the movie, despite frequent fights. Malachy ends up falling for Michelle, and when she reveals she is leaving and therefore cannot start a relationship he works harder for even a moment of love. The ending is pretty surprising, a solid twist.I didn't like the directing at all. Throughout the movie there is white text that flashes across the screen with phrases that don't seem to make sense. Are they the character's thoughts? words? Narrator's hints? It was unnecessary. The writing was pretty good, a lot of things were unnecessary and unexplained, but some can argue that is just a style that was intentional - perhaps even liked by many viewers. The ending sort of drops off, leaving unclear of the fate of the trio. Again, it may be intentional, but it was far too abrupt and didn't close the movie in the way I would have liked.The highlight of this movie is the acting. Without a doubt. Every person in this movie is believable and brilliant. Grint did not disappoint and played the character flawlessly. Even when he is not the focus of the shot, he stays in character and even his gestures are consistent and spot on. Sheehan was the biggest surprise to me. I have no idea who he is, haven't seen him before, but he really made the movie for me. The mix of charisma, a character with a chip on his shoulder, and the overall development of his character is apparent with every word, gesture, and smirk. I look forward to seeing him in future films.Overall, if you are a Harry Potter fan, you will appreciate Grint's performance and probably like the movie. The acting made the shortcomings of the movie less obvious and entertaining. However, this is not a movie meant for a young audience. It is riddled with drugs, sex, violence, and bad language.

If you're looking for a truly forgettable film to fall asleep to, then you'd be hard pushed to beat this slow, soporific piece of celluloid...The plot plods painfully and predictably along at a pace more suited to a party political broadcast than what is laughably described as a thriller.The acting wouldn't seem out of place on a TV shopping channel or an ultra-low budget kids TV show. Admittedly, the cast didn't exactly have a whole bunch to work with: the dialogue is nothing short of dismal and the characters are so two dimensional and clichéd that it renders any empathy towards the protagonists nigh on impossible.Rupert Grint, who gives what is probably the best performance in the film, is about as convincing as a pound-shop wig and James Nesbitt must have either taken on the responsibility of supporting a whole troupe of licentious, crack smoking, compulsive gamblers or be so utterly desperate to escape being forever typecast as a "Cheeky Chappy" that he will LITERALLY accept any other role that he's offered... and if this isn't the case then I shudder to think how god awful the scripts he's turning down must be! I gave it a generous 2/10

Throughout this movie I kept having flashes to this last season of Skins. The whole Freddie/Effy/Cook theme was played out a bit differently, but with the same type of terrible results. Granted, Malachy and Luke had a more respect for each other, but Michelle was the same sort of Effy character. Other than that the movie had the same type of a feel. Sex, drugs, and bit of violence sprinkled together as a coming of age story.The characters were well played and each had their own problems and envy of the other's lives for one reason or another. Robert Sheehan was commendable in his role as a struggling young man only looking for acceptance and a family above all else. And that's seems to be what made his relationship with Malachy perfect. Sheehan played the perfect balance of needing others while being forced in to a role of independence that was obviously unwanted.Rupert Grint also did a admirable job in his role of smothered young man looking to spread his wings and be himself, a role he seems to find himself playing again and again lately. He fights with his deep rooted ideals of how people should be treated against his behavior when he tries to get what he wants. Grint seems to find a happy medium in this character and makes him feel true and at time conflicted. My only qualm with his performance is the accent seemed to slip at times and I felt it was unbelievable.When I walked into the movie I certainly thought I was going to see something much harsher and quite different, the plot summery and trailer were quite deceiving, but I was pleasantly surprised by this movie and expect much more from these actors. The story line wasn't detailed, but it never tends to be with these types of movies. What's left unsaid speaks louder than anything that could be written.