Cherrybomb (www.the-usher.com)

"You have a great future ahead of you"

For Luke (Sheehan) and Malachy (Grint), the end of school was supposed to be the start of a new chapter in their lives, with Malachy heading onto great things at college and Luke starting to work with his successful brother but neither of them wanted that. When Michelle (Nixon) came back from London to live with her father (Nesbitt), Luke and Malachy were instantly drawn to her. Bringing out the worst in them, the trio quickly became friends but as Luke and Malachy became more and more competitive as they tried to impress Michelle, the more dangerous it became.

When you are associated with an extremely famous character from a huge franchise, it is very hard to move onto new projects and take a few artistic risks without upsetting your fans but for Rupert Grint, he has a massive shadow to set out of.

Playing ‘Ron Weasley’ in the Harry Potter series has made Rupert Grint a superstar and could be the defining role of his career, even though in age terms he has just started. As the humorous friend of the boy wizard, Grint has an army of fans around the world who adore the films and the character he plays but for any actor who is associated with such a famous role, been taken seriously as anything else is very difficult indeed. While some actors have the talent and the skill to be able to appear in huge franchises such as Harrison Ford (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Jack Ryan films), Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings), Sir Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings, X-Men), Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible) and still have a vibrant career, the echelons of movie history are littered with actors and actresses who have never been known for anything other than the roles that made them famous, with Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Linda Blair to name but a few. The big question is then, can Rupert Grint step out of the shadow of Ron Weasley?

Like Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliff, Rupert Grint has been trying to show the world that there is more to his talent than just been a trainee sorcerer. While Radcliff headed to the stage, Grint has taken roles in small British films that will fit into his busy Potter schedule. Films like ‘Thunderpants’, ‘Driving Lessons’ and Wild Target’ have given him the chance to show what he can do with his comedic talents but ‘Cherrybomb’ gives him the chance to tackle a drama. The problem is that you are watching the film and a talented performance from Grint and the rest of the young cast and thinking, “But that’s Ron Weasley”.

Telling a tale of teenage rebellion and rivalry has been the stalwart storyline of many a movie. For ‘Cherrybomb’ we have two life long friends about to forced two different ways after they finish school. Rupert Grint’s Malachy is the golden child with excellent exam results and a bright future. Robert Sheehan’s Luke is still the troublemaker, the rebel but comes from a home with an alcoholic father and a brother who is rich, powerful and not above smacking him and his father around if they don’t show respect. With their friendship about to come to an end and Luke desperate to keep this friend around him, the two try to spend more time with each other but that all changes when Malachy’s boss’s daughter Michelle, played by talented up and coming actress Kimberly Nixon, comes back to stay with her father, played by James Nesbit. From then on it becomes a competition between the friends for her attention with Malachy becoming more and more rebellious and Luke becoming more and more reckless, it was never going to end well.

‘Cherrybomb’ is a well made, well acted teenage drama that suffers from a lack of originality and likeable characters to really make you care. Neither Malachy, Luke or Michelle are at all likeable, meaning you never really invest your feeling with any of them. For Rupert Grint, this is a chance to show he can handle the more dramatic role but you will be saying to yourself ‘But that’s Ron Weasley’.

Making of Cherrybomb

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2010