Russo Brothers' 'Cherry' helps Tom Holland break vigilante 'Spider-Man' image
The first-look of Cherry, the offbeat film on PTSD by the Russo brothers, is out. The director duo and lead actor Tom Holland have seemingly worked hard to look different from Marvel's glamorous character portrayal. The shocking and thought-provoking stills of Holland and co-star Ciara Bravo are already viral enough for Apple, its broadcaster, to call Cherry its first Oscar contender. See for yourselves.
Deals with Cleveland guy trying to set his life right
Cherry is Anthony and Joe Russo's first film after Avengers: Endgame and it narrates the story of a youngster scrounging through bits and pieces of life for opportunities to escape his reality that keeps getting harsher. Cherry is the name of Holland's character in the film. The Cleveland native's descent starts with his decision to quit college as it is not working out.
He joins the Army and his downward spiral starts
Cherry then decides to join the US army and is deputed to serve as a medic in the Iraq war. War devastates this vulnerable character and he returns to his place with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and starts taking opioid for relief. Thereafter starts the vicious spiral that drags Cherry to bank robbery and soon, he becomes a pro as his drug addiction worsens.
Holland surprised the Russo brothers with his commitment
The film has six different visual techniques with respective camera lenses to distinguish the progression of Cherry's life as the character also has a girlfriend Emily, a teacher (Bravo). Her love and support for Cherry's struggles further intensify the plot. Admiring Holland, Anthony said, "Joe and I were surprised to see how committed he was to every facet of that character."
Film will hit the theaters on February 26 next year
Aimed to evoke empathy for PTSD patients, Joe says Cherry explores realism, absurdism, and horror. Apple had bought the streaming rights of Cherry, produced by Russo brothers' company AGBO Films, for about $50mn in September. Cherry, based on the 2018 novel by Nico Walker, will release in theaters on February 26, 2021, and on Apple TV+ on March 12.
