Customer Reviews

SherryBaby

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Unflinchingly absorbing from the first scene to the last, Maggie Gyllenhaal brings a candid, earthy aura to "Sherrybaby," her most impressive acting vehicle up to this point. New to DVD, this gut-wrenching look at an ex-convict's struggle to establish control over her life truly sizzles.

Any doubt of Gyllenhaal's abilities is erased only minutes into the film. At the drop of a hat, she makes Sherry Swanson turn from sexual to vulnerable, violent to passive, indifferent to invested, self-assured to insecure. Through it all, she is endearing enough to win over even the most ignorant viewers - the kind who shield their eyes when real-life Sherrys pass them on the street.

When we first meet her, she saunters off the bus in Newark, finally home after three years in prison. Contrasting with the business suits that surround her skimpy strawberry blonde get-up, she hollers after a man merely for brushing against her in a hurry to cross the street; the unfolding of a misfit begins.

Parole Officer Hernandez is played by the ever-brilliant Giancarlo Esposito, who has a knack for playing deceivingly straightforward authority figures. Appropriately hard-headed in his treatment of Sherry yet sympathetic to her misfortune, his character provides a three-dimensional look at the work of those who look after prisoners post-incarceration.

Sherry's heart-rending yet uneasy reunion with her tiny daughter Alexis, portrayed by Ryan Simpkins, sets the stage for the crux of the plot. Having been raised during her mother's incarceration by Sherry's brother Bobby and his wife Lynette, played by Brad William Henke and Bridget Barkan, Alexis is thrown a curveball when her mother suddenly arrives. With an ability to act natural on screen, Simpkins makes Alexis a fully realized character despite her extreme youth, underscoring key plot elements with a pure, uncensored nature par for the course in young children.

Fully intent on being a better mother, Sherry collides with her brother and sister-in-law, who closely regulate her interactions with Alexis out of legitimate concern. When she realizes they have instructed Alexis to address her not as "mommy" but as simply Sherry, tremendous tension ensues, finally ballooning out of control. Sensing the tension between the three adults, the toddler breaks down in tears, unsure of her position at an age when it is all she has to rely on. The juxtaposition of Sherry's urban life with her family's quiet existence in suburban Mountainside underscores their inevitable differences.

Dominant male figures are perhaps overly important to Sherry's definition of herself. Her relationship with her father, wisely underplayed by Sam Bottoms, is more pivotal than first meets the eye, providing context for her conflicted past. She also develops a relationship with recovered addict Dean, played by Danny Trejo, who becomes an unlikely anchor with his wizened, world-weary outlook.

It's easy to dismiss Sherry as someone who is raunchy and immoral, but an attentive viewing reveals the reasons behind her complexities. Gyllenhaal draws her character like an artist draws a painting, giving her depth and dimension that takes the viewer deeper and deeper in as the plot progresses. To call her a fearless actress would be an understatement.

Gyllenhaal fronts a top-notch cast in this gritty, unglamorous slice of life. For powerful acting, an engrossing story and wall-to-wall on-location shots of New Jersey to boot, "Sherrybaby" delivers the goods hand over fist.

Laurie Collyer both wrote and directed this very fine little film that examines the world in which addicted people live, even after they have 'paid their debt to society' by being imprisoned. She does not play to the sympathy of the audience: she rather empathizes with one woman's plight in her struggle to gain control of a life she has never been able to successfully assemble.

Sherry Swanson (a brilliant tour de force by Maggie Gyllenhaal) has been in prison for robbery, drug possession and heroin addiction for several years and as the film opens she is released to her hometown in New Jersey where she is assigned a parole officer (Giancarlo Esposito) and a 'safe haven' home. She longs to see her five-year-old daughter Alexis (Ryan Simpkins) whom she barely knows and who has been living with her brother
Bobby (the excellent Brad William Henke) and his wife Lynette (Bridget Barkan). After encountering much prejudice and abuse heaped on ex-cons looking for work, Sherry manages to find a job working with kids and tries desperately to re-connect with Alexis but is rebuffed by Lynette and warned by Bobby that should she bring drugs in the house he will send her back to prison.

Sherry stumbles through her out-of-prison existence, connecting with old friends at an AA meeting, having a fling with her old flame Dean (Danny Trejo), attending a birthday party for Alexis given at her parents home where her father (Sam Bottoms) comforts her in a sexually intrusive way, and struggling with her roommates until she moves out on her own. She aches from not belonging, from the fact that her life on the 'outside' is as much a prison as on the 'inside', and she returns to drugs. Given an ultimatum by her parole officer she finally thinks she can put her life back together, but a planned outing with daughter Alexis forces Sherry to face the fact that she is not capable of the skills of mothering and she is able finally to ask for help from her caring brother.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is Sherry with every fiber of her being. It is a performance worthy of top honors. The beauty of the film is the fact that it does not opt for Hollywood happy endings: it merely stops with many questions unanswered - as is the case in life with people who suffer the agonies of addiction. It is beautifully acted and filmed and it deserves the attention of not only lovers of fine film, but also people who want to try to understand the horrors of drug addiction in a society unprepared to cope with it. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, January 07

Maggie Gyllenhaal emerges as an undeniably powerful actress in the title role of this low-budget 2006 indie. Rather than providing her usual scene-stealing turn, she gets to convey the nuances of a full-blown character by delivering an astonishing range of emotion as a struggling ex-convict. The film reminds me quite a bit of Ulu Grosbard's overlooked 1978 "Straight Time" in which Dustin Hoffman plays a paroled ex-burglar who cannot shake his former life. Both provide incisive looks into the hardscrabble existence of people trying desperately to reform, but in doing so, the stories become so desultory and the situations start to have a by-the-numbers feeling that the dramatic momentum dissipates toward their inevitable conclusions.

Directed and written by Laurie Collyer, the film takes an unflinching look at Sherry Swanson, a former heroin addict just released on parole after three years in prison for robbery. Returning home to New Jersey, she is desperate to stay clean and sober in order to reclaim her young daughter Alexis from her sympathetic brother Bobby and his conflicted wife Lynette. Without drugs, Sherry's addictive behavior manifests itself in cigarettes, alcohol and emboldened sexual acts to get what she needs. Yet, her biggest addiction is her relentless pursuit of an idealized image of herself as a mother, and it is her disconnect with reality that produces the film's most poignant moments. Otherwise, the movie gets increasingly frustrating to watch because Collyer provides only hints of what Sherry brought her to her dilemma. What we see mainly are flashes of short-tempered narcissism when we see people understandably looking to emotionally disengage from her, including her indiscriminate father.

There are some surprisingly graphic scenes that show how Sherry uses her shopworn beauty as emotional armor when Collyer could have better used them to underline her melancholy mental state. In the face of these script shortcomings, Gyllenhaal displays enough dexterity to fill in a lot of the blanks, especially when she shows how Sherry starts realizing the depth of her accountability for her problems. Brad William Henke provides solid support as Bobby, as does Bridget Barkan as Lynette, Danny Trejo as a supportive fellow addict, Giancarlo Esposito as Sherry's hardened parole officer, and ebullient little Ryan Simpkins as Alexis. I have to admit I could not wait for the 96-minute movie to be over, but it is worthwhile for Gyllenhaal's courageous work as it is she who holds the film together. Sadly, the 2007 DVD does not contain any significant extras (a commentary from Gyllenhaal and Collyer would have been most welcome) other than the trailer.

This is certainly not the "feel good" movie of the year but it is one of the best actibg turns I've seen recently. Maggie Gyllenhaal, who has been known mostly for roles as quirky women ("Secretary" was just one), is the reason to see this tale of a drugged out criminal who is trying to get her life back in order and regain her young daughter. We never learn who the child's father is or the circumstances of the child's birth. Actually all we know is that "mommy was sent to prison for stealing". And, though you keep rooting for Sherry (Maggie's title role) to "make it", you know it's a tough road.

Despite the plot flaws, and missing pieces, you will be unable to take your eyes off of Maggie. (The fact that there are multiple scenes of Gyllenthaal's gorgeous nude body are just "icing on the cake"). There's lots of expletives here too so it's not a family film.

Her acting is stunning!

The star rating is based on the fact that the DVD release is devoid of any supplementals except for the film's trailer. There must have been deleted scenes - helping to flesh out Sherry's background - but none are included. And a Director's commentary would have helped too!

Maggie was nominated for a Golden Globe - but lost - and should be in the Oscar noms, which will be announced next week.

This film is definitely worth watching just to see this performance , which ranks on a par with Charlize Theron's turn in Monster a few years ago.

Steve Ramm

I went to the screening in LA last night for Sherry Baby. I wasn't going to attend but I am so glad that I did; even gladder still that the invite made it to me in the first place!

Suject matter is very adult but presented so telling and so honest and Maggie redeems her character with perfection. I've seen Maggie act before but never like this. Everyone did such a marvelous job. It's like watching people you know; not like being in a movie theater.

Great job!! Buy this movie as a permanent addition to your collection and watch it with your friends. The discussion it will bring forth after you watch the movie is worth the price of admission & more!!

Maggie Gyllenhaal delivers an Oscar Caliber performance as a drug addicted ex-convict, who is trying to reclaim her daughter and life. She brings this train-wreck of a woman to vivid life, totally disappearing into the character. Many have described this film as sad, bleak, and disturbing. It is all of these things because the story seems so authentic and real, and her performance is so good. She seems like a real person rather than an actress playing a role: everyone has met someone like Sherry. I believe this is a much better film than some of the reviews here would suggest. So many films today are fluffy, forgettable and emotionally unengaging. This one is strong medicine: it grabs you and pulls you in. My wife liked it a lot, but actually had trouble sleeping after watching it. Since when do all movies have to be syrupy, feel-good confections with an unambiguous happy ending? It is refreshing to see one that seems so honest and real. Ms. Gyllenhaal's performance made me empathize with, and ultimately root for a junkie ex-con. I look forward to seeing this fine actress in future films.

I'll start with a warning: "Sherrybaby" is a very downbeat, gloomy movie. Sherry Swanson, played brilliantly by Maggie Gyllenhaal, has had a very depressing life and the movie's bare-bones look at her attempts to reform and become a good mother to her daughter hits some abysmal lows in the way she continues to be degraded by the harsh judgments of the world and, predominantly, herself. It's just not a feel good movie, so anyone looking for frivolity or endless repeat viewing had best look elsewhere.

Now, having gotten that out of the way, I want to implore you to watch "Sherrybaby" anyway, because while the movie isn't bouncy fun it is an unflinchingly honest and devastating portrait of a young woman in crisis. Sherry makes some bad choices, sure, but thanks to Gyllenhaal you see the extent of the damage that has been done to her, and you find yourself on the edge of your seat because you desperately want her to be all right in the end. To say that Sherry's life hasn't gone according to plan would be an egregious understatement. By sixteen she was performing for seedy older men for money under the moniker 'Lolita,' hooked on heroin, and it is implied that she was sexually molested by her father. Most of her old acquaintances are either dead of overdoses or in jail, and she has no idea where her daughter's father is -- assuming he's still alive, that is. In Gyllenhaal's blank stare you can feel every wound and imagine every dream that has been dashed forever in Sherry's bleak existence, and in her prematurely world-weary creases the fear that she will never get the normal life she so desperately craves becomes palpable. It is a performance that is at once bold and understated, and the fact that Gyllenhaal failed to get nominated for an Academy Award seems to be the final nail in the coffin of that institution's ability to reward such daring indie performances as this one. It's a triumph so lived-in that you can almost smell the stale aroma of cigarettes following around her. The supporting players are also very good, but this is Gyllenhaal's vehicle, and it is her work that makes the film work so well.

And what a film! Sherry's fumbling attempts at motherhood and sobriety don't tug at your heartstrings so much as rip them out and scrape them across the floor, but rarely does that experience feel so exhilarating as it does here. "Sherrybaby" is not a movie for the faint of heart, but it is a movie for anyone who has a heart -- and it will stay with you long after the final reel. How many movies can you honestly say that about?

About halfway through watching this fine movie, I realized that I was just as tense as hell. Tension, of course, implies emotional investment, and emotional investment implies that a movie is really clicking.

The movie is about a recovering heroin addict who has just been released on parole from prison, and about her increasingly frustrated attempts to get to know the daughter she had to leave behind. I won't go into the rest of the plot, but suffice it to say that Sherry's struggles had me on edge. I wouldn't even consider classifying the movie as a suspense film . . . but I found myself in absolute suspense, feeling during practically every scene that things were on the verge of going wrong, and BADLY wrong at that. I found that I was feeling more suspense over what was going to become of poor Sherry than I can remember feeling at the movies in a while.

Needless to say, the best reason to see the movie is Maggie Gyllenhaal. Shr's really pretty great. She really inhabits the character, and what's she's doing often feels less like Acting than it does like . . . well, like you're just watching a real person. Some people are put off by that kind of performance, but for the rest of us, she's pretty sublime here. (And I've got to say it . . . DAMN is she hot. Call me whatever you like, but it's true. The costume designer for this movie, who apparently had the idea for Gyllenhall to AT NO POINT wear a bra, ought to be given some sort of special Oscar. Sexist rant now ceases. Seriously, though . . . HOT.)

I was also delighted to find Danny Trejo playing a normal character in this movie. He's usually playing a criminal or some other type of thug, but here he's just a charming, helpful ex-con trying to help Sherry stay clean. I suppose there's a darker side to that story if you really care to see it, but I'm too pleased to see Trejo getting different kind of work, and being good at it, too.

I also admire how economical the screenplay is. The film is only 96 minutes long, but it feels neither too short nor too long. Every scene serves a solid purpose, and none of them are squandered. You don't get that in very many movies. Usually even the best movies have scenes that could easily have been cut.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes movies about character.

(One final note. I'm interested in how this movie serves as a darker sort of companion piece to one of 2006's biggest moneymakers, "The Pursuit of Happyness." Both movies are about troubled single parents who spend the entire movie on a nearly Homeric quest to achieve a specific goal. It would make for an interesting double feature, and I'm intrigued by the fact that two of the year's most-lauded performances come from such thematically similar movies.)

This is not a film I'd buy for subsequent viewings. Once was enough. So depressing and so unrelenting... And that's what makes it worthy, thanks to the unflinching performance of Maggie Gyllenhaal. Magnificent! There is focus and good direction throughout, and fine supporting characters, but all you can remember is Maggie, thorougly in touch with her most unlikeable character. A stellar study in acting, and a fine achievement in realizing the human condition, as it may apply.

Sherrybaby is the story of Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a woman recently out of prison and on strict parole. Her brother and his wife have spent the last three years taking care of her daughter, and she desperately wants to be a part of her daughter's life again. Sherry, though, doesn't seem to have ever learned social graces, and this extends not only to offering favors to the director of her halfway house, but also in her explanation to her five-year-old daughter as to why she was gone so long. She tells her daughter, rather inappropriately, that she stole money from people to buy drugs.

When we meet Sherry's alcoholic father, we understand her inability to cope, although it's not terribly surprising. What surprised me was that we learned that her brother was aware of whatever relationship the two of them had and didn't talk to Sherry about it. That's certainly not unbelievable, as it's not uncommon for people to ignore the elephant in the room, but it's frustrating.

Gyllenhaal's performance was strong, but everyone else turned in rote performances with little or no emotional depth.

This DVD did not come with captions or subtitles, so this reviewer, who is hearing impaired, had difficulty following all of the dialogue. In 2007, there shouldn't be a DVD on the market that doesn't have captions or subtitles.