Reviewed by Neil Davey
Stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Brad William Henke,
Sam Bottoms, Giancarlo Esposito, Ryan Simpkins,
Danny Trejo, Bridget Barkan
Written by Laurie Collyer
Certification UK 15 | US R
Runtime 96 minutes
Directed by Laurie Collyer
Sherrybaby, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s much anticipated step-up to the big leagues, is an unusual film. It’s basically a three-star movie held together by a five-star performance. If anyone’s got a reason to feel robbed by Helen bloody Mirren getting an Oscar for her make-up in The Queen — yes she was good, but she wasn’t every bloody award in the bloody world good — It’s Maggie. This is an absolutely stunning bit of acting.
A shame then that the same can’t be said about the film which, aside from the drug references and the lead character’s general willingness to trade sex for favours, wouldn’t look out of place on the UK's Channel 5 any afternoon of the week. Gyllenhaal plays Sherry, a reforming drug addict who’s just spent three years in prison after stealing to feed her habit. All she wants to do now is get to her brother’s place and be reunited with her daughter Lexi (Ryan Simpkins). When she gets there, she finds that the war she faces to rebuild her life has a new battle: her sister-in-law Lynette (Bridget Barkan) doesn’t think Sherry’s up to the task of raising Lexi and isn’t going to stand silently by and just let it happen.
At this level, Laurie Collyer’s film is quite superb. The director’s tone and screenplay are subtle and assured, remaining admirably non-judgemental of the situation Sherry is in. Given Sherry’s obvious flaws, it would be easy to draw obvious conclusions about her. Thanks to Gyllenhaal, there are no tricks required, no manipulation necessary. Indeed, a scene where Lexi stops calling Sherry 'mommy' and calls her Sherry instead — at Lynette's insistence — is devastating in its simplicity, and perfectly encapsulates the power struggle between the two women. A scene where Lexi’s birthday party venue is switched and kept secret from Sherry is equally potent.
Accordingly, there’s no need for the heavy-handed tugs at the heartstrings. Part way through, Collyer appears to lose faith in her own abilities and, worse, Gyllenhaal’s, and throws obstacle after obstacle into Sherry’s path — drugs, more drugs, a hard ass probation officer — and then uses a painfully obvious explanation of why Sherry’s gone off the rails that neither convinces or sits well with the rest of the film. Collyer pulls things back sufficiently at the end but it’s too late and Gyllenhaal or not, the film’s flaws have done their unnecessary damage.
While Gyllenhaal is the obvious stand-out, the acting is excellent throughout, particularly from young Simpkins as Lexi and Brad William Henke as Bobby, the brother caught between the sister he’s devoted to and the wife he loves. His scenes with Gyllenhaal are painfully natural. They just deserve a better setting.