Tom Holland has made quite a name for himself in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Spider-Man and now that he has reteamed with Avengers: Endgame directors for Cherry, the young man has broken loose and proven that this is a talent that will be resonating in movies for decades to come.
Holland plays the title character as the film is truly laid out in parts of his life and how certain events lead to others and leaves the audience with the reflective nature that comes along with a certain narrative like the one in Cherry. How things would be different had one thing been different is a haunting premise, especially when the ending we’re careening towards seems sadly pre-determined.
Cherry has the potential to be searingly riveting and grab you by the throat at its first moment and never lets go through its potentially tragic and somewhat sensical conclusion. Most of the performances are stellar, first-rate delivery by actors who keenly understand the concept, the narrative, and the overall tone that directors Anthony and Joe Russo were going for with their post-superhero tome. The problem is that although Holland is one gifted actor, he is woefully miscast in Cherry. There needs to be someone who is able to not be so awe-shucks and possesses some gravitas. It sadly feels like Holland is a little kid playing in a big kid sandbox. It’s not necessarily his fault. The Spider-Man star tries his best, it is just that certain roles are out of reach for physicality, physical presence, and other elements that are almost intangible.
The film also does something impressive in that it takes a young man, close to high school age, and his girlfriend Emily (Ciara Bravo) and paints a picture of that inescapable bliss of young love and how it is all consuming and will lead you take make decisions that might not be in the best interest of yourself long-term. Such as volunteering for the Army when she broke your heart and there is an illegal war going on in Iraq.
One thing Cherry does well is it captures that by the seat of your pants modus operandi that is being that age. Sure, you’re an adult. But you have only “lived” in that particular neighborhood of life for a few years at the most. As such, mistakes abound. Many of us bounce around that portion of our journey like pinballs, ricocheting off every little thing that gets in our way and allowing momentum to drive our future, rather than purpose.
The script, by Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg—based on the novel by Nico Walker, delivers a pretty-straight forward story. It’s just the directorial choices of the Russos, who we normally sit in awe of, left a lot to be desired. One thing is clear, the Russos were stretching their wings, after several (incredibly) successful Marvel movies in a row. Cherry has a tone that ebbs and flows as much as the plot itself over the course of the film. It is a war movie. It is a bank robbery movie. It is a junkie movie. It is a love story. It is a veteran’s story about how we as a society treat our bravest fighters. The talented sibling cinephiles appear to have thrown everything at the wall to see what sticks with their latest. Much of it does, due to the sheer talent of these guys behind the camera.
But there is a little too much of each element that pulsates through Cherry to have it be the most coherent of narrative and cinema experiences.
Despite all the tropes we go through to get there, the audience does pull for Cherry and Emily to have their love find a successful conclusion, as well as at least the promise that these two will get their life together because two acts of the film tell us they have the potential to be solid upstanding contributors to society. Cherry’s bright, he’s funny and he has an illuminating future should he be willing to grab it and seek help for his PTSD that is literally controlling his life, his actions, his relationship, and above all else—his personal disposition.
When it comes to the score, it is sublime. Henry Jackson’s score meets the highs and wallows in the lows in such a way that it becomes its own character in Cherry’s journey. The two are as interconnected as a character and musical accompaniment can be on the big screen.
This is a different kind of film for the Russos. Since Captain America: Civil War they have been Marvel’s golden boys. Cherry is a gritter and has the potential to be more impactful on a wider societal scale. It is grounded in a reality that will have you thinking and praying for our brave men and women in the military who gave their all to ensure our freedom. Sadly, every other facet of Cherry could use a little work and some firm decisions as to what exactly it wants to be as a storytelling vehicle.
Grade: B-
Cherry is in select theaters currently and will stream on AppleTV+ March 12.