Review of Sherrybaby (2006) by Miina L — 14 Jan 2008

Thank goodness for Independent American cinema!The superior acting and and natural direction of this film left me speechless. I loved it from the first frame- the rainy landscapes perfectly echoed the tone of things to come and Maggie Gyllenhaal's face captured all the intensity necessary for such a demanding role.

I salute the director for managing to portray the struggles of a recovering drug-addict mother in such an unpretentious and touching way. The storytelling is constantly avoiding being too premeditated such as in the end when Sherry takes her child on a road trip and all we see are images of roads that keep getting bigger which leaves us guessing what Sherry's intentions are.

It would have been all too easy to over-dramatise the scene, but Collier has a far more clever, truly cinematic storytelling style. This film makes a quiet, brave statement about the reality faced by those left in the margins of the society and takes the viewer straight into the heart of the issue, without glamourising or over-emphatising.