Movie Review - “Sherry Baby”
***1/2 STARS
Some movies can stir up personal memories and feelings that you have long forgotten. The true test of a great movie is how you are able to relate to a character that is any many ways the polar opposite of yourself. This movie created a wave of emotions I was not expecting.
This is a quiet, small, absorbing film with great performances. Mainly Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is sure to get some sort of nomination recognition come award season. Her performance is so strong and intensly accurate, it is hard to see the Hollywood actress and not the struggling drug addict of a mother she plays.
Throughout the movie we see a portait of a selfish person, completely obsessed with what she wants, despite the destruction she has caused in her past. We believe she is on her way to recovery, but can also see she is not fit to get what she wants. This struggle is painful to watch as Sherry makes mistake after mistake. You hold your head when she gives into the pressures of her own creation. The akward moments of weakness give you the viewer very little to sympathize with.
In the end you feel bad for everyone involved with Sherry and root for her to do right. We are left with the feeling that although the road ahead is full of mistakes, Sherry will heal and learn how to be a mother again. This struggle is the crux of the plot. How do we know when to give in and not feel as if we are owed something? Sometimes maybe we make our happiness by making sacrifices.
I think this is one of the best films of the year and a great character study. Although the subject matter is deep, it is a true gem and should not be missed.
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