‘Cherry’ is obscene, ‘Branded’ is boring and ‘Lightning’ is likeable on DVD

Among the movies that became available Tuesday, Jan. 15 on Blu-ray and DVD at retail stores and rental outlets throughout the Valley are a drama about the adult entertainment industry, a drama about the marketing industry and a drama about a young man who dreams of making it big in the film industry.

‘About Cherry’

Ashley Hinshaw plays a troubled teenager who moves to San Francisco where she gets involved in pornography and aligns herself with a cocaine-addicted lawyer (James Franco). (R - 102 minutes)

“About Cherry” is a sexploitation movie masquerading as an arthouse flick. Writer/director Stephen Elliott’s new drama is outrageously obscene - not necessarily because of specific subject matter and the amount of skin that is shown over the course of its runtime but rather because of its insinuation that one could essentially fall down into the depths of selling their body just as easily as they could fall into an open manhole. Granted, star Ashley Hinshaw is drop-dead gorgeous but her character never earns our empathy therefore the film falls emotionally flat. Plus, it is slow moving and boring to boot. (Grade: F)

‘Branded’

Ed Stoppard plays a man who tries to unlock the truth behind a surreal, dystopian society where corporate brands have unleashed a monstrous global conspiracy to get inside our minds and keep the population disillusioned, dependent and passive. (R - 106 minutes)

For a movie about marketing, “Branded” sure could have used a much more accurate ad campaign. One might gather from the poster, trailer and other campaign materials in support of writers/directors Jamie Bradshaw and Aleksandr Dulerayn’s new flick that it was a humorous satire in which companies’ logos and mascots come to life and attempt to overthrow the planet. However, in reality, it is an excruciatingly boring drama with only a few laughs sprinkled here and there - none of which are even remotely intentional, though. Moreover, it will only make sense to those who work within the marketing industry. (Grade: F)

'The Intouchables'

François Cluzet plays an aristocrat who, after becoming a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, hires a young man from the projects (Omar Sy) to be his caretaker. The movie is based on the true story of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and Abdel “Driss” Yasmin. (R – 112 minutes)

“The Intouchables” is an incredibly touching motion picture. A strangely cynical sense of humor elevates what, in the wrong hands, could have been an excruciatingly cheesy cinematic experience. Filmmakers Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano carefully fend off forced and feigned feelings to create an emotionally-rich story about honoring one's fellow human beings with dignity regardless of the ailments that you perceive them to possess. This is more than just a feel-good flick that can teach us a thing or two about respecting the strength of those around us, though. It is also an extraordinarily entertaining one with surprisingly biting wit. (Grade: B)

‘Lightning Bug’

Bret Harrison plays a young man who, having developed a remarkable facility at creating makeup effects for horror films, hopes his skills will help him escape an abusive stepfather, his small southern town and the religious zealots who call it home. Laura Prepon also stars. (NR - 98 minutes)

Granted, “Lightning Bug” is definitely a flawed film featuring cliched characters, sloppy editing and continuity complications but it is almost worth watching if only for the sense of charm it exudes paralleling that of a small, low-budget flick shot several years ago starring actors that have since gone on to become big-name celebrities. Mind you, Bret Harrison and Laura Prepon still have a ways to go before they can be considered that, despite being beyond deserving of it, but as writer/director Robert Hall’s semi-autobiographical drama was filmed about 10 years ago, said stars look relatively youthful therefore that feeling still applies. (Grade: C)

‘Love Me’

Lindsey Shaw plays a teenager who, despite her friends’ warnings, falls for her mysterious new classmate (Jamie Johnston). But what seems like a love story hits a major twist when the police begin an investigation into the young man’s involvement in the case of a missing woman. (PG-13 - 97 minutes)

“Love Me” is a thriller that has all of the bite of a multi-episode story arc on “Gossip Girl.” The new flick from screenwriter Kat Candler and director Rick Bota may satisfy some teen viewers but everyone else will likely crave something with a much sharper edge - not to mention be too distracted by the weird way in which the film’s adult characters barely bat their eyes at the teenagers negligently placing themselves in potentially deadly positions. Even said teen characters behave without any authenticity whatsoever, essentially flip-flopping their level-headed and freaked-out reactions to respective situations. (Grade: D)

'The Possession'

Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick play parents whose youngest daughter (Natasha Calis) becomes oddly obsessed with an antique wooden box and eventually exhibits increasingly erratic behavior. (PG-13 – 91 minutes)

Thanks to a creatively compelling first half, “The Possession” rises about most exorcism movies. However, its second half still succumbs to the silliness of the genre. That is to say that the new thriller from director Ole Bornedal begins with a slow-burn, so to speak, drawing the viewer in with a relatively down-to-earth story that sends shivers down your spine. But, before all is said and done, the movie's demons come out – quite literally – and a lot of its sincere scares are subsequently lost. Its “based on a true story” tagline becomes less and less believable thereby limiting the chill factor. (Grade: C)

'Taken 2'

Liam Neeson reprises his role as a retired CIA agent who stopped at nothing to save his abducted daughter (Maggie Grace). When he is targeted by a vengeance-seeking crimelord, he must employ his particular set of skills to protect his family against an army out to kill them. (PG-13 – 91 minutes)

If Liam Neeson's character in 2009's “Taken” was essentially the equivalent of a parent who musters the spectacular strength to lift a car off of their baby, said character in “Taken 2” completely bypasses being an all-out superhero to become a downright deity – capable of dodging bullets ala Neo in “The Matrix,” locating anyone by telepathy alone ala Professor X in “X-Men” and beating the bad guys to a pulp with a single punch ala the Hulk in “The Avengers.” Granted, the result defies real-world logic but by golly if that does not make it an entertaining movie. (Grade: B)

'To Rome with Love'

A story about a number of people in Italy and the romances, adventures and predicaments they get into. Stars include Alex Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, Ellen Page and Woody Allen. (R – 102 minutes)

“To Rome with Love” is a mess of a movie. The primary problem with writer/director Woody Allen's latest motion picture is that it features four stories that are intercut yet do not have anything to do with one another. To make matters worse, they take place over different lengths of time. Of course, then there is the fact that only one of said stories is worth your while. Allen enthusiasts may still enjoy themselves but even they will admit that this is a long way to fall from last year's “Midnight in Paris” due to its varying timelines and needless intercutting. (Grade: D)

'Won't Back Down'

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis play two determined mothers, one a teacher, who will stop at nothing to transform their children's failing inner city school. Facing a powerful and entrenched bureaucracy, they risk everything to make a difference in the education and future of their children. (PG – 100 minutes)

Politics and prejudice notwithstanding, “Won't Back Down” is a decent message movie that is certain to get viewers all riled up. It is also entertaining to boot. And that really is enough of a reason to warrant a recommendation. After all, director Daniel Barnz's new drama is not a documentary. If it were, one could easily dock it points for its bias and agenda. Having said that, the flick is held back by its dependance on clichés right through to the end-credits. Sometimes, an unfavorable conclusion is not only more realistic, it is also more effective at lighting a fire under moviegoers' seats. (Grade: C)