Review of Sherrybaby (2006) by Pete L — 18 Feb 2011

An excellent drama film.

Plot: Newly released from jail on parole, a recovering addict, Sherry Swanson(Gyllenhaal) is sent to a halfway house and looks to form a bond with her young daughter who has spent her whole life not knowing her. Sherry also has problems with her house mates, parole officer, and must deal with the fact that her daughter has become attached to her brother and his wife.

Maggie Gyllenhaal gives the best performance of her career. She plays the character so well it's almost scary. You can feel the tension between her and her sister in law. I have to say I've never liked the characters Danny Trejo(Machete, Predators) plays. He's alway either the bad guy or anti-hero, but he plays a totally different character, a caring and loving one. It's just weird to see him this good especially after that awful movie Machete. Before I saw this, I didn't think it would be as engaging as it was and unlike most of the films I've seen lately, I actually cared about the characters. Also absent in those movies I've seen lately was that the characters learned something in the movie and changed because of that. I would say that's what I enjoyed most about this film.