😒The Iranian film “Taste of Cherry” by Abbas Kiarostami had the potential to be a masterpiece. However, for me, only the first one-third was watchable. In the first one-third or so, the story was subtly funny. It had philosophical overtones that made it interesting, but after the first one-third, the film lost its humor and became boring and extremely cringe. Basically, it failed to take off.  

"Taste Of Cherry" had a perfect first one-third but failed for the other two-thirds of the movie.                

I wish to create a new version that keeps the first one-third or less, and then creates a brand new two-thirds or more. The new film will be released with the title: “CHERRY” rather than “TASTE OF CHERRY.”





This is the storyline for CHERRY:

In the first one-third, we see the leading character Mr. Badi, played by Homayoon Ershadi, who was excellent in that part and will be brought back for are make, driving around and trying to talk to some random people who are unwilling. That sequence was perfect art, so should stay in the new version. Basically, we find out that Badi wants to commit suicide and drives around looking for someone who will bury him but at the same time he does not want to tell anyone he is going to kill himself. He just tells them he will pay them to do something but won't tell them what they will have to do besides throw dirt on him as he lies in a trench.

At first, he doesn’t even say that much. He just says he is going to pay them to do something but won’t tell them what it is, so that they become highly suspicious of his intentions – and that’s where the subtly funny element happens.

Here is what should be done to fix the film. Keep the first one-third or so, up to before his vehicle gets stuck in the dirt. That scene, with his vehicle getting stuck in the dirt, is what destroys the entire credibility of the film. In a movie, one bad scene destroys the entire movie. That is why, if you are making a movie, you should let me hear about it so that I can critique it for you for free before you make the movie.  

Here is another thing that is wrong with the movie. When you have an extremely sleepy sequence where there is just relaxed dialogue, the next sequence should be loud, busy, and exciting. Each sequence should feel different than the previous sequence or feature a character who is loud. It’s okay for the first one quarter or one-third to be very purist with the same tone throughout it. But after that you have to contrast each sequence because in order to hold the audience in a trance, you have to have contrasts, so that the audience feels like each new scene or sequence is an upgrade. You can’t have even one lull in the tempo of the movie or it will kill the entire vibe.

Films should be about contrasts. You cannot have the same mood, the same tone, the same type of personality all throughout the film. There must be contrasts.

Screenwriters and directors should focus on keeping the audience in a trance by flipping every scene into a contrasting scene.

The screenwriter, and the director, should always imagine all kinds of people watching their film and imagine how they might react. This will force the writer and director to create a film that has universal appeal, rather than just being for a supposed niche audience.

For example, if you are creating a story about Iranians, would a fat, drunk truck driver from Texas enjoy watching it, even though the movie is about Iranians? How about a French aristocrat? What about a black man from Compton? Or a stockbroker from Argentina? What about a 12-year-old? And someone who is 100-years-of-age?

As you write, cast, or direct the film, it is important to visualize all those types of people, and other types of people watching the film and imagining what they are thinking and how they would score the film. Basically, you want to visualize the type of people who hate Iranians, but would be so mesmerized by this film, that it would change their views on Iranians.

“Taste of Cherry” did not succeed in being universal. Virtually every scene was just Mr. Badi driving around in the car, and talking to someone. At first it was mesmerizing and a perfect introduction - but for the introduction to keep dragging on and on and then for the entire move to be the introduction, was just lazy work. If I had been the producer, I would never have let Kiarostami film that script.

Everyone in Kiarostami’s films is overly subdued in spirit. It’s too drab. Films should electrify you. They can start out slow and easy and drab, but when they get to the second act, they need to their hands dirty with some real work.

A film should establish a powerful relationship with the audience so that it can move on to the next part of the relationship.

But Taste of Cherry stays in the friend zone., and fails to build a relationship.

By the second act, we realize that Kiarostami will be stuck in the friend zone, and that the power of the plot is gone. He fails to build from sequence to sequence.

THE REWRITE

Instead of that scene where the laborers help Badi get his car unstuck, in the new version called “CHERRY” we cut to the busy streets of Tehran and focus on the crowds of people strolling on the streets, crossing the streets, and the jam of cars everywhere.

A TITLE CARD SAYS: “THIRTY YEARS LATER” (the original film was made in the 1990s)

This is a stark contrast from the previous sequence of Badi driving around the wastelands. There is good reason for this cut. We feel like we’ve gone from the isolation and nuance of Badi calmly driving around and speaking in a low voice to strangers that he picks up.  

After spending three minutes immersed in impromptu shots of the street we CUT TO the interior of the home of an eccentric millionaire in Tehran.    
This is another contrast, basically contrasting from the long car sequence to the street scenes and now to a luxurious home. It feels like an upgrade even though it isn’t. You see, if this scene of the millionaire’s home had been the first scene in the movie, or was in the first act or sequence of the movie, it would have failed. But because this interior shot comes after spending the entire first fifteen minutes (or whatever it was) staring at Badi driving in open country in some wasteland, as he speaks in a subdued tone, and then after seeing the streets of Tehran, it totally feels like an upgrade and is much appreciated by the audience. It’s like quenching the audience’s thirst. But the meal itself has not even arrived yet. We saw the menu in the first act, as we set up the premise of the story to come. Now we are getting our drinks and enjoying the satisfaction of quenching our thirst. We are starting to think, “This place isn’t bad. I’m starting to feel the vibe. I’m bonding with this place and the people. This is starting to feel like a social activity. This is starting to feel like a relationship that I want to be in.” We are doing things, we are meeting interesting people, and we are going places rather than just staying in one place.        

Because we are dealing with the Iranian film genre, audiences want to experience the interesting parts of Iranian culture because the truth is, they want to watch an Iranian film and experience art.

Therefore, you have to immerse them in the culture, but it has to be presented as a desired brand, much like Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Cinnabon, and Rolls Royce are brands. Winning brands. Even if the setting is the low ghetto, it still has to look and feel like a brand.

The film should have maintained the subtle humor, and the characters should have become more fascinating as the film progressed.

There should have been several twists to keep the audience in the game.  

We can fix those errors in the new version of the film.  

The millionaire is in his 70s and is dressed in a Versace robe. He’s smoking a cigar. Behind him is a lot of pop art and some Dark Ages armor on display. A large dog, a Great Dane, is on the floor staring at Badi, waiting for Badi to make the wrong move.

The millionaire’s name is TOLLA.

TOLLA: Are you still trying to kill yourself?

BADI stares blankly with the million-mile stare.

TOLLA: Do you believe in God?

BADI stares at the armor, says nothing.

TOLLA: I need you for something.

BADI turns to look at Tolla, trying to focus, and reading him. ZOOM IN on Badi’s face.

WE CUT TO: PARIS CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT

Visuals. Sounds of jets taking off and landing. An elegant upper-class Iranian man in his eighties, HOSSEN, is waiting in the back of a Rolls Royce. Badi has arrived and gets in with a red backpack and no luggage. He takes off the backpack so he can get in the car and sit down.  

HOSSEN: Flight delayed?

BADI: No.

They drive. No one says anything. Badi is visibly nervous. He keeps turning to stare at the man who is very cold and unresponsive, then looks out the window at the surroundings, and at the interior of the Rolls Royce. Then back at the man. But the old man just stares forward and says nothing.

BADI: Where are we going?

HOSSEN: Nowhere. 

LATER… Long shots from the point of view of Badi looking out the window at open country as they drive past green pastures, grey woods in the distance, a castle. France has that perpetual 1600s look that is so appealing like a fine wine. What makes it even more interesting to me is that the best elements of France were built by Persian royalty who became the kings of France.  

After spending several minutes just showing the open country from the Rolls Royce point of view, we CUT TO: The kitchen of an old estate in France. It has that old world charm. A very attractive Iranian woman in her fifties, NAHEED, orders her maid in French to scrub the counter down. Naheed is wearing a colorful apron and talks with a loud-high-pitched voice. She takes off the apron and leaves the kitchen.

LATER

Badi is introduced to a group of Old Money Iranians from the patrician class. They bring in a weapons liaison who works for several private weapons manufacturers. They tell Badi that they want to turn him and a few others into one-man-armies, with new technology that will kill hundreds of members of the government and religious faction without anyone even knowing what happened. The man is English and goes over the details of each secret weapon as if he were Q from the James Bond 70s series of films.

LATER

Badi asks to borrow a car. He drives to Paris and tries to pick up random people, and just like in the first film, he tells them he will pay them if they do a simple job for him. If you’ve seen the first film, this sequence will be extremely humorous and amusing because this was the gimmick for the older version. And just like in the first movie, they misunderstand what he’s asking for (because he can’t just come out and tell them he wants to kill himself, and he can’t tell them that the job he wants them to do is to bury him. He has to warm them up first, with clues – while they assume he’s some kind of pervert or weirdo).

[If you are an investor, producer, or want to work on the film with me, introduce yourself. We don’t have to wait for Iran to be free to make this film. All the scenes can be shot in France. The street scenes of random people in Tehran can be shot by anyone with a smartphone and a video camera and then sent to me].

[Anyways, I don’t want to create the storyline for the last act of the film until I have permission to use the old film, and until I have funding and people lined up]