Review: Misguided 'Cherry' is flashy, look-at-me filmmaking

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Tom Holland has bravely stripped off his Spider-Man costume to play a gritty, heroin-addicted veteran in the new movie “Cherry,” looking in no way like a superhero. Unfortunately, no one told the filmmakers.

“Cherry” has an identity problem and that may be because directing duties have been handed to Anthony and Joe Russo, best known for directing films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including two Captain America films as well as “Avengers: Infinity War” and “. Avengers: Endgame. ”

That means the brothers who gave us such universe-changing events as the Thanos snap are telling one Cleveland man's story of heartbreak, aimlessness, soldiering, addiction, robbery and incarceration. And yet they haven't changed the way they make films.

Overly long, bombastic and poorly focused, “Cherry” is based on a semi-autobiographical 2018 novel by Nico Walker,  slotxo a decorated U.S. Army veteran who served time in prison for turning to bank robbery to feed his addiction.

“I’m 23 years old and I still don see understand what it is that people do,” he says in a voiceover at the beginning, setting him up as a perpetual outsider. “The trees are nice. I don really understand them either but I like them. ”

Holland should get credit for giving his all in a harrowing role, complete with navigating the terrors of war, PTSD afterward, drug-addled semi-consciousness, lesions on his haggard face due to heroin and bank robbing swagger.