Einsam in Manhattan

Once you agree to suspend belief over a few minor points in the script(that the beautiful main character would still be a virgin at 29 and that anyone can pick up orphans off the street and keep them for example) you can curl up with your date and enjoy this breezy romantic comedy. Leila Sweet has rejected love because she was stood up at the altar 12 years earlier. As her sister, Evie,prepares for her wedding, Leila realizes her life is empty and seeks to have a child wihout the muss and fuss of finding someone to fall in love with first. Everyone from her gay uncle and his delightfully cheerful better half, Mammy, to the quirky characters who fill her muffin shop, try to fix her up. The uncles (Gil Rogers and David McCallum) have some of the best lines in the show and are worth a whole movie unto themselves as are the cafe patrons and the dim but likable waitresses. As Leila flounders along in her quest for a baby, she encounters a struggling clown who pops over in a variety of costumes to win her heart. He's charming and a nice guy but he's not the "one" Her gynecologist, Dr. Beverly Kirk, has the hots for her and struggles to keep his cool as he attempts to guide her through her quest for a child. Along the way Leila rescues some kids who are literally dumped on her doorstep. As the wedding plays itself out, Leila realizes she's gotten it all wrong and completely blows her sister's wedding out of the water. All ends well of course or it wouldn't be a comedy. The supporting characters and the New York scenery alone would make it worth a rent. Curl up with a muffin and someone eccentric and watch it.

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.

"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.

Leila (Shalom Harlow) is a muffin shop owner with a sad past. As an innocent 20 year old, her fiancé failed to show up on their wedding day. Since then, she merely exists with her dog, Paxil, never venturing into another romantic attachment. However, she does want to become a mother and visits a new gynecologist to determine if her organs are working properly. Somewhat smitten, the physician tries to discourage Leila from the auditions she plans to hold to find a father for her potential offspring. Is a sperm donor the closest thing to true love that Leila will find?

This sweet, sweet movie has attractive leads and a humorous script. While the overall concept of the film may be far-fetched, the audience won't quibble with it's presentation. The setting and costumes are quite wonderful, also. If you and your friends pant over kisses and laughs in the search for true love, get the gang together and have a giggle and sigh fest.

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.