Cherish (2002)

Review by All Movie Guide
Finn Taylor's Cherish is an endearingly offbeat romantic comedy that loses some of its goofy charm when it becomes a more conventional thriller late in the film. Writer/director Taylor (Dream With the Fishes) gets strong performances from his talented cast, particularly Robin Tunney (The Craft) in the lead role, playing Zoe, a classic rock-obsessed social misfit whose life is actually improved when she's placed under house arrest. Tunney is alone onscreen for much of the film, and her charm and energy carry the movie. Tim Blake Nelson of Minority Report is also very good as Daly, the shy and uptight technician who tends to Zoe's ankle bracelet. The film has an enjoyably quirky unpredictability for most of its running time, as Zoe tries to figure out how far she can get from her apartment without alerting the police, gets to know Max (Ricardo Gil), the wheelchair-bound dwarf who lives downstairs, and calls in requests for syrupy old love songs to the local oldies station. The music (including "classics" from 10cc's "I'm Not in Love" to Human League's "(Keep Feeling) Fascination") provides an effective and oddly creepy counterpoint to the action onscreen. Taylor's film falters when he introduces an unconvincing backstory out of the blue in the film's climactic moments in order to fully explain Zoe's predicament. While it's mildly disappointing that Cherish doesn't sustain its low-key tone and unique personality throughout its running time, this lapse doesn't seriously detract from Taylor's impressive accomplishments. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide