Babes

Not really a feel-good movie, hits really hard in the reality. It had several laugh out loud moments and was overall enjoyable but this is not a movie I'll be rewatching when I need a pick-me-up movie.

I thought Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau were an awesome duo. They had great chemistry for a buddy-comedy but I wish there had been more of the comedy aspect to it. A lot of this movie was very heavy which was not what I was expecting based on the trailer and summary.

I will say the heart-felt moments were very deep and moving, and if you're looking for a movie that conveys the harsh reality of parenthood while giving you laughs here and there then this movie will meet those requirements.

How disappointing it is when you see a movie that you were looking forward to only to walk away unimpressed, if not largely disappointed. So it is with director Pamela Adlon's debut feature, a comedy-drama about the wild and crazy relationship between two lifelong thirtysomething New York BFFs (Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau) who share the experiences of pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood while struggling to maintain the kind of free-spirited friendship they had before becoming mothers. The narrative consists of a series of vignettes - some outrageous, some touching, some serious - involving various aspects of their connection, their individual lives and their interactions with others. Unfortunately, these episodes are wildly inconsistent, regardless of their nature. Some work well (especially, surprisingly enough, those that get unapologetically down and dirty with unbridled raunchy humor), but most others fall stunningly flat for a variety of reasons. The biggest problem here is the writing, which frequently tries far too hard to make the material work. Some segments simply aren't funny, relying on excessive exhausting mugging and overacting to win over audience members and unsuccessfully persuade them otherwise. Others are utterly preposterous and implausible (despite trying to come across as "zany" or "outrageous"), lacking credibility in terms of plot devices, character development and story flow. And others still are just plain inauthentic, particularly when driven by the strained chemistry between the two often-immature leads, whose supposed bond simply isn't convincing. What's more, when the film unsuccessfully tries to turn serious, scenes that are supposed to move and touch viewers don't work, because the film doesn't do enough to engender sufficient interest in the protagonists, their challenges or their relationship with one another. To its credit, the film features some fine performances by supporting cast members (John Carroll Lynch, Stephan James, Elena Ouspenskaia), but the leads grow progressively tiresome, especially the longer the movie drones on. In short, "Babes" is a big misfire that fails to deliver despite a few modest laughs along the way. Best bet for this one? Wait for it to come to streaming.

The about to give birth "Dawn" (Michelle Buteau) is married to the perfectly manscaped "Marty" (Hasan Minhaj) and is best friends with "Eden" (Ilana Glazer) who is keen on having a baby but so far lacks a suitable sperm donor. That all changes, though, when she encounters the charming "Claude" (Stephan James) on the train and, thinking her period is sure fire protection against getting pregnant, they have some fun. She is smitten, but he disappears without a trace and she just chalks it up to experience. A few months later, though, she gets quite a shock and what now ensues sees the friendship she has with "Dawn" quite seriously tested, yada yada. There's nothing new to this at all, and after the first twenty minutes of serious over-acting and a scene where a waiter concerned that the amniotic fluid leaking over the floor of his restaurant might not be that hygienic - and it designated a "woman hater", the stall was set out for this frankly quite puerile attempt at comedy. It's structured just as if it's a couple episodes of a mediocre sitcom interspersed by a stand-up routine style narrative from writer Glazer that rehashes a tired girl-power mentality that stopped being funny thirty years ago. I didn't care if their friendship worked or didn't: there's no effort to develop the characters and frankly I'm not surprised "Claude" took an early bath from these proceedings. I'm not really a fan of these buddy-comedies that take a relationship that supposedly works, break it, then try to put "Humpty" together again for the sake of an ending we could all see from space, and this is another off a conveyor belt completely devoid of originality.

To all the naysayers who took time to try to criticize this movie, I say "Guess what? There are really people like this in the world." Not everyone is the cookie cutter typical rom-com character, action hero or sci-fi alien that Hollywood churns out by the truckload. Do I relate to them? No, not particularly, but do I know some people like these characters in real life? Yes, we all do. Are these characters a bit over the top? Yes, but guess what, it's a comedy and like any good movie or book they are going to be caricature's of real people. And it refreshing to watch a movie that showcases an off beat type of person once in a while. So, sit back, enjoy the slightly absurd take on the situation, laugh at their bizarre approach to life and get a glimpse into the way some people choose to live their lives.

All that said, the movie succeeds mostly due to the excellent direction, clean editing, good script and solid acting.

The blend of off beat humor and the real life personal drama that everyone experience in really is very well balanced. I look forward to more movies like this and less of the CGI blockbusters and silly horror movies that have become cliche.

The brainchild of Pamela Adlon and Ilana Glazer, is a comedy that tackles the messy realities of female friendship and motherhood. Glazer shines as Eden, a free-spirited yoga instructor whose life takes a sharp turn when her best friend Dawn (Michelle Buteau) becomes a mom of two, and Eden herself gets pregnant from a one-night stand.

The film's strength lies in its unflinching honesty. It doesn't shy away from the gross bodily fluids, sleep deprivation, and emotional turmoil that come with pregnancy and early parenthood.

However, where Babes stumbles a bit is in Glazer's signature delivery. While her brand of in-your-face humor perfectly captured the wild energy of Broad City, it can feel a tad repetitive here. Jokes that landed big on television lose some punch on the big screen, and the constant barrage of profanity and awkward bodily functions can become tiresome after a while.

Buteau serves as a fantastic counterpoint. Her portrayal of the overwhelmed yet fiercely loving Dawn provides a much-needed grounding force. The chemistry between the two leads is undeniable, but the film tends to have a few plot holes and shift in time that forces you put together some of the missing pieces.