It's very engaging through the portrayal Maggie Gyllenhaal brings to the table. Gyllenhaal gives one of her most authentic performances, using not just a terrific sense of acting,but furthermore a portrayal so believable through the nature of her character, Sherry Swanson. Sherry has just been released from prison and after 3 years due to her misery at the hands of her Herion addiction. In her fresh start to rebuild her life, she sets her mind to reconnecting with her little girl Alexis. In the time she was in prison, Alexis was in the care of her older brother (Henke) and his wife (Barkan), whom plays her character with a silent sense of personal disgust for her husbands sister. In the course of Sherry's attempts to rebuild her life both by fitting into society, as well as winning back her daughters love, she encounters various faults that not only tempt her, but even push her further away from any chance of reconciliation from her daughter. It is displayed through the very nature of her very low class, and often childishly misguided behavior she gets very far from even living life a person should. Her constant drinking, her often well intentioned, but still improper forms of parenting towards Alexis, and her occasional desire to use drugs again. Her resistance to her temptations are understood through the bond she begins to share with a fellow and reformed addict Dean (Trejo). Through their various sexual encounters they begin to look out for one another, especially when Sherry herself loses her grip, and sticks a very hot needle out of the very difficulty she faces to reconcile with Alexis. Viewers can assume by the sight of the very scene when her father touches her breast inappropriately, as she puts her hope in his comfort. The terrific thing about this particular film is that, its completely unpredictable because of the very nature of Gyllenhaal's performance of Sherry. We don't know whats gonna happen to her in the duration of the film, at least not definitely, or even near the end when she spends one last day with her daughter, leaving one final good impression as she registers herself into a rehab, unbeknown st to her family. I found the character Sherry to be every engaging, believable by both her white trash attitude, her mannerisms of her childish behavior, and her dispensable grip of east temptation, making her along with the overall direction of the film, completely unpredictable. I can't be sure, along with other viewers she'll get better. She's got a shot, after witnessing the film's conclusion, however not a sure definite.
Review of Sherrybaby
