Review: ‘Sherman’s Way’

Technically I should not like this movie. It covers the same theme as about 50,000 other indie films. The film plays out, one clichà © after the next. Without getting into any particulars, the plot is about an uptight rich kid who always plays by the rules, always has a plan and always had his opportunities handed to him on a silver platter. He spontaneously goes to surprise his girlfriend only to find out she is cheating on him and he then ends up spending some time with a complete stranger who shows him another side of life. In turn, he helps the stranger to get his life on track. Along the way, he also falls for an artsy free spirited girl that’s not really his type.

Remember though, I said I should not like this movie. But I did. Actually, I really liked it. While the plot and some character points are a rehash of a rehash of a perpetual rehash, the film still feels fresh. The characters are fun and interesting, and the actors work well with each other. The film is funny and while I did not laugh at each joke, I did find myself smiling through a lot of the film. Perhaps I’m just a sucker for this type of movie. Perhaps it also has something to do with the fact that there are some surprises along the way and some very funny lines that come out of nowhere. Actually, they often come from James LeGros who plays the very interesting Palmer. The rest of the main cast (Michael Shulman, Enrico Colantoni, and Brooke Nevin) all give great performances and seemed to really enjoy playing these characters. Craig Saavedra directs with ease the well-written and funny script by Tom Nance.

Overall the film is a well-made humorous and heartfelt journey that is fresh and interesting, despite the amazing number of clichà ©s present.

And for anyone looking for advice on asking someone out out, be sure to pay attention to Palmer’s hair trick.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 pieces of bad chocolate cake

Jerry Cavallaro – www.AreYouStuckLikeChuck.com