Cherry

This movie was much more enjoyable than I expected it to be.

Despite the limited acting talent of Shalom Harlow, the terrible

lighting, and the overly whimsical plot, the movie exudes a likeable

charm. The supporting cast was excellent, and the story moved

along quickly with some very funny interludes.

It's almost pointless to recap the plot (something about a shy, unwed 29 year-old who runs a coffee shop and wants to have a baby). None of that matters because the only reason to watch this movie is to see the very smooth, likable charm of Shalom Harlow. Yikes! She's cast as Leila Sweet who has the titular cherry (still a virgin) and radiates the kind of groovy disposition that makes you want to sip coffee and scotch and listen to some vintage Beth Orton or Stone Roses. She's also got a smooth, natural acting rhythm that conjures an image of a young Emmanuelle Beart or latter-day Winona Ryder. Along with Michelle Hicks (star of last year's Twin Falls), Shalom is one one of the very few models who can make that transition from fashion to cinema.

But be warned: there's more than a few hokey plot devices that prod the movie along (she advertises for a sperm donor, hires a jive talking chef, weds her gynecologist, etc). But there's also more than a few tender, genuine screen moments such as her recurring encounters with Donovan Leitch (prospective donor?) and David McCallum (surrogate father figure). The best moments - easily worth the price of the rental - are when Shalom and Donovan get cozy and trade slurred barbs about the meaning of romance. Nice, wish there were more of that/them. The final word? Terrible title for such a sweet movie.

It's true that this is not realistic story, but romantic comedy is not a genre that I look to for realism. What counts is that the characters are likeable and, as needed, sexy. Shalom is beautiful and relaxed and Jake Weber is handsome in an offhand kind of way. They have enough chemistry to make the story believable in the area that counts, sexual attraction. I would love to see either of them in another movie. And yes, the clown is pretty cute too.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie. I thought that Jake Weber did an excellent job as the shy but obviously love bitten ob/gyn, Dr. Beverly Kirk. He was sweet, a little wistful but brave enough to keep trying because he really felt that he was meeting a very good thing [Leila Sweet]. While I wish the producers hadn't cut some of the scenes where he gave a little more personal detail of his character while at the bar, I think viewers will still be able to see that Jake makes a perfect leading love interest.

"Cherry" tells of a naive, unmarried virgin who decides to have a baby but isn't quite sure how to go about it. This easy going little sleeper is full of quirky characters and tongue-in-cheek situational humor. Fresh, fun, mold breaking stuff, I happened to really enjoy this flick...for whatever that's worth. Recommended for lovers of romantic comedy who want something different.