In the opening scene of SherryBaby, we meet Sherry Swanson, a woman who has just been released from a 3-year prison sentence. Immediately we see her confrontational nature in reaction to a man who simply bumps into her. Independent movies can be very challenging for the audience, and immediately we are asked to accept this woman as the character that will lead the emotional journey over the next 90 minutes. Its not an easy task, as Sherry is certainly not a picnic, but thanks to an amazing central performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal and fascinating answers to moral dilemmas, SherryBaby achieves an honest portrait of deeply felt human drama.

Sherry Swanson has just been released from prison for a drug related crime. Now clean (or so we hope), Sherry must deal with the life of halfway houses and addiction recovery meetings. At the same time, she is facing difficulty in proving to her distrustful family that she is now mature enough to take care of her daughter, now being raised by Sherry’s brother Bobby (Brad William Henke) and his wife Marcia (Kate Burton). Sherry also has to deal with a strict parole officer (Giancarlo Esposito) keeping a close eye on her.

What seems at first to be a formulaic family drama quickly turns into a complex, realistic human story. This is not a rags to riches tale where a former addict leaves prison and suddenly leads a perfect life. Collyer is blunt about the realities of Sherry's situation, which she is able to convincingly portray thanks to a brilliant casting choice in the lead role. Maggie Gyllenhaal's gutsy performance has so many perfect touches. I particularly liked when she sings awkwardly to her daughter in an uncomfortable family dinner scene.

Collyer gives us a very intimate view of the situation. She realizes that in this very personal story, there is no need to ham it up with showy directing techniques. Freeze frames, close ups, and unnecessary tracking shots are in limited supply here. This leaves the viewer feeling like they are witnesses a documentary, and this approach puts you right in the middle of the situation, feeling everything that Sherry and those around her feel. There’s an important and disturbing scene between Sherry and her father. It’s clear what is going on, but Collyer does not feel the need to comment on it. She doesn’t even allow Sherry to completely deal with the situation. We experience it. Sherry can’t. Not yet.

If there is one flaw with the movie, it is uneven performances in the supporting cast. As Sherry's brother Brad William Henke has a difficult time of finding himself in each scene. There are several moments where he seems confused as to what his character is thinking or feeling. Since it is a somewhat conflicted and confused character, this isn't as much of a problem as it could be, but there are a few scenes that lose some emotional impact because of Henke's weak performance. Many other performances in the film are similarly amateurish, but overall this actually lends to the gritty realism of the story. More polished performances probably would not have captured the same emotions.

One of the most common complaints about the film is the unsympathetic lead character. It is true that Sherry makes several questionable choices throughout the film, and many of her actions are extremely alienating. I think this is what makes the film so wonderful. SherryBaby exists in the real world, populated with people who have real flaws that constantly frustrate those around them. This is not a vacuous studio picture, where every character is nice and pretty and all lessoned are delivered by the end credits.

The startling thing about this film is how it turns you completely around, showing a completely different side of the story. Throughout the movie, Sherry takes actions that the film seems to support. It becomes more and more uncomfortable throughout as Sherry's questionable actions seem to run counter to the message the film is trying to present. But thanks to Collyer's honest direction and Gyllenhaal's audacious performance, SherryBaby has the nerve to shake itself up. The stunning, uncompromising conclusion is something you would never get in a Hollywood film.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD