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All around our country, men and women are feeling desperate. They’ve lost their job or their home or someone they love. They’re struggling to make ends meet, or they’re struggling just to get through the day. And in Cherry, the Russo Brothers tell the story of one of those desperate people.
Cherry stars Tom Holland as an Army medic whose life has spiraled out of his control. As the young bank robber steps into yet another bank, he’s taken back to the time before it all began. He looks back on his time in college, where he met the love of his life, Emily (Ciara Bravo). He looks back at the pain that caused him to enlist in the Army in the midst of wartime. And he looks back on the struggles that made him what he is today.
In looking back through the character’s story, the film explores the moments that shaped his life and his decisions. It follows him as he falls in love, as he fights his way through basic training, as he witnesses the horrors of war in Iraq, and as he struggles with the lasting effects of PTSD once he returns home. It’s a long and heartbreaking story—one that feels more and more desperate with each scene.
Tom Holland gives a strong performance in this challenging role. Somehow, he manages to portray a character who’s both emotional and detached. He loves deeply—he feels deeply—yet he does it all while keeping his distance. He’s the one standing back and taking it all in at parties. He’s the guy who fades into the background of most situations. In fact, we never even know his name. In a way, his world has room for only two: himself and Emily. What matters is what they experience and how they feel. Everything else feels like a blur in the background.
The Russos add to this detached feeling with the artistic feel of their direction. So many scenes look beautiful but lack connection—whether it’s a colored filter that makes everything feel surreal or the camera soaring over the top of the loud, chaotic barracks as this one solitary character suffers alone. And as he returns home and fights to drown out his wartime experiences, it all feels even more dreamlike and hazy.
Cherry is dramatic and artistic, boasting a solid performance from a highly talented young star. But this detached character and some equally detached filmmaking choices mean that audiences may struggle to feel a connection to the story.
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