Sherrybaby
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Movie Reviews of Sherrybaby
Movie Review: Stunning Performance By Gyllenhaal
Summary: 4 Stars
Laurie Collyer's Sherrybaby presents the bleak picture of a woman just released from prison trying to reconnect with her life, her family, and most importantly with the child she left behind.
Maggie Gyllenhaal gives the performance of her career as the title character who is caught in a life spinning out of control. Fighting her own demons and addictions she must come face to face with her past in order to reclaim her present. The film features stand out performances by Brad William Henke as her brother Bobby, Giancarlo Esposito as her parole officer, Danny Trejo as Dean Walker, the man trying to get into her life and a surprisingly good performance by Ryan Simkins as her daughter Alexis. Despite all these performances the film is dominated by the work of Gyllenhaal. She appears in literally every seen and is fearless in her determination to get the part right.
The disc does not offer any special features but does include a 5.1 soundtrack. The cinematography by Russell Lee Fine perfectly shows off the New Jersey landscapes that make up Sherry Swanson's life. First time director Collyer deserves kudos for her work also.
This small gem was one of the sleepers of 2006 and should not be missed.
Movie Review: Perfect movie to let Gyllenhaal shine!
Summary: 4 Stars
The reason I was interested in seeing this movie was the Oscar buzz on Maggie Gyllenhaal. I was certainly hoping she would be getting a more challenging role after Secretary. Sherrybaby is a very heavy duty film to watch, because there's a lot issues involved by Sherry. She gets out of jail, on a probation and intends to reconnect to her little girl. She had to start all over again by finding a job and trying to stay clean at the same time. She was willing to offer her potential employer sexual favors if she gets hired. She goes to AA meetings and still ramdomly has casual sex with strangers while trying to stay away from substances. At this point I am already comparing Maggie's performance and character to Maggie Cheung's Clean, because it's almost like watching a remake of Clean with some additional disturbing issues like father-daughter incestious love and a ton of nudity and sex. Yes, the movie really focused well on the road of recovery in Sherry's life, and about the choices she makes and how she must survive her past in order to make better choices. After viewing this film, I am thinking had the studio pushed for Gyllenhaal, she could've taken the Oscar nomination held by Meryl Streep.Movie Review: Gyllenhaal is astounding
Summary: 4 Stars
Sherrybaby, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, is a good film, but prepare to be rather depressed for a bit after seeing it. When we first meet Sherry Swanson (Gyllenhaal), she has recently been released from jail, where she served time for a drug-related robbery. Once she's released, she contacts her brother, Bobby, who has been keeping her child (Alexis) for her while she's been in the clink. The movie then follows Sherry as she tries to stay clean and put her life back together post-prison.
Gyllenhaal is AMAZING in this film. Really amazing. (I am a fan since The Secretary, but this cements it.) If anyone has any doubts as to whether she can act, this should answer them. The storyline is a downer, though, as nothing seems to go right for Sherry. The tension between her and her brother over the fate of the child, the vestiges of an abusive relationship with her father, her struggles with addiction, her desperate need to be loved - it all adds up to rather morose entertainment.
But it is charged with meaning and blessed with good performances, making it worth seeing in my book. FYI - there is LOTS of language and nudity.
Movie Review: Sherrybaby - worth the price of the DVD
Summary: 4 Stars
WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
Its more depressing than inspirational. Don't let the box kid you, this is every bit the kind of movie which begins as a writer/director/actor's labor of love. You cannot really say like or love with a movie like this. Liking or loving a movie like this might just be a little sick, because the part of you which is emotional and heartfelt cannot like to see a character go through the life experiences that Sherry (Gyllenhaal) encounters, and the part of you which is rational and intelligent, knows this is basically a pretty accurate adaptation.
WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
If you have the choice between Sherrybaby or Half Nelson, please, please pick Sherrybaby. It's wrought with grief, spirit, hopelessness and realism. I heard a fantastic interview with Gyllenhaal on an NPR program about this movie and it causing her disdain for sex scenes. After watching it, I knew exactly why she made that comment. The character of Sherry reminded me to be thankful for an ubernormal childhood, and what is turning out to be, a pretty good time as an adult.
Movie Review: Hits You Hard
Summary: 4 Stars
Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a superb performance as a troubled, drug addicted young woman seeking a better life after rehab. Along the way towards her new start, she encounters exploitation at the hands of those who claim to want to help her. But Sherry can also at times, be her own worst enemy. Wrong choices, naive expectations, and burst bubbles dot the landscape of her life.
Yet she has a perserverance through it all that is more touching than inspiring. Even with all the mistakes she makes along the way, she believes in divine guidance. Hers is the most simple of childlike faith. You find yourself pulling for her to reunite with her child and at the same time wincing at all the obstacles in her path.
What hits you so hard in this film is the mean, ungracious, and predatory ways in which human beings can treat one another. You end up feeling pity, compassion, and empathy for Sherry. She wants things to be so much better and you end up hoping they will be too.
This movie gives you a crash course in humanity as well as the lack of it.