Sherrybaby (2006)

one of my absolute favorites!

Don't Believe the Hype

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Wow, Maggie Gyllenhaal is absolutely brilliant in this as an ex-junkie who upon release from jail tries to turn her life around and get custody of her young daughter that barely knows her.Sherrybaby is a gritty, unflinching indie film that surprised me. For the most part its an emotional character study, with interesting hints of abuse from the father and all-round messed up family relationships.But there are just so many layers to this movie that wouldn't have been visible without Maggie G's stellar performance. I also enjoyed seeing another side of Danny Trejo who doesn't just "machete" stuff, he can really act. Always good to see Giancarlo Esposito from (Breaking Bad) as well. 10.13

Maggie Gyllenhaal is one of those polyvalent actors you mistake for someone else, at least until you've seen enough movies in which she delivered a performance that leaves you with a lasting impression. So she did for me in a few movies; her portrayal of a person with a certain mental disorder I can't identify by name and which would take way too long to describe, assured I would remember her even if I still can't pronounce her name correctly most of the time. That movie was "Secretary". It is not a movie I'd recommend to anyone I don't know well enough, nor is "Sherrybaby". The former, because I might be mistaken for a pervert, and the later because hard luck stories tend not to be entertaining or of interest to most. Gyllenhaal plays the role of Sherry Swanson.The IMDb storyline is adequate enough to give you an idea of the kind of movie it may be. If that storyline does not turn you off and you should decide to watch the film, you'll be more than satisfied. Gyllenhaal is most convincing as Sherry; I can't begin to understand how or what method she uses, but talent is a must to be sure. I need to repeat that this movie is not for everyone; it depicts a very rough life you soon understand is one that started when Sherry was younger. It is a conclusion obvious to draw. This will be hard to watch if you are the mother of a young child. The director probably made a conscious effort to avoid clichés and she was effective in my opinion. If you see any, it's because you don't like the acting as much as I did. Can you remember a movie in which Danny Trejo is a kind and caring person character? Get this; he's believable in that very role in this movie. Now imagine what good stuff Laurie Collyer, the director pulled off with the rest of the movie.

Sherry Swanson is on probation having served 3 years for theft to pay for her heroin habit. While in prison she has cleaned up and taken various self-improvement courses. Now all she wants is to be reunited with her small daughter who has been looked after by her brother and his wife while she has been inside. But life outside is not as easy as she hoped it would be.Sherry's progress is always interesting, though somewhat depressing - you can see that she is a fundamentally decent person, but her history as a heroin addict and jailbird means that no-one, including her family, fully trusts her. You spend the film hoping that she will find a successful route through the many, many difficulties which face her (including the ever present possibility of slipping back into old ways) while, at the same time, thinking that a glib Hollywood happy ending would be a betrayal of the gritty integrity of this story. It is to the film's credit that it avoids both of these alternatives.While the supporting cast are all very good, this is Maggie Gyllenhaal's film - she delivers a wholly credible Sherry, flawed but fighting not only what everyone else throws at her, but herself too.And it's worth mentioning Danny Trejo - playing against type, but truer to his real-life persona.A challenging but worthwhile film.

Once more Maggie Gyllenhaal has done an impressive performance for SherryBaby, in fact she is the one that power the movie all the time.This film is about the life of one ex-prisoner that leaves jail with only one thing of mind, reunite with her daughther. Maggie Gyllenhaa is not a one of this ficcion-prisoner-mother, Laurie Collyer did a very good job writing the movie looking at the current situation and I think he reaches the target by showing a yound mother has been kept in jail because she was a kind of next-door-drugdealer.The film itself is a day to day after prison, and how this skinny girl try her best to get what she wants but always finding some one infront of her. She doesn't like to break the rules, but she doesn't understand why they there.The film will keep you in the seat all the time, I promise.