Maybe Baby ou Comment les Anglais se reproduisent

I went to the cinema to see this film and walked out of it after about 40 minutes because it was completely unfunny and seemed to be rapidly decending to an all-time low of mindless drivel. This film is an all-time turkey in my book, - it left me wondering what on earth Hugh Grant's career has come to. On the other hand, if you find frustrated impotent men hilariously amusing then you'll probably like it, but then there would have to be something very wrong in your mind somewhere - I suggest you see a psychotherapist. I admit that the 'joke' is reasonably well executed on the first occasion it is used, and it didn't particularly bother me, but when 40 minutes later the film still hadn't moved on from the same, by now, very stale old joke, it began to become very irksome and before long I couldn't bear to sit and watch any more of this mindless dross and just left the cinema. It definately ranks as one of the worst movies I have ever seen for all the worst reasons. Tiresome and unfunny drivel.

Picture the scene - it's an office. Three ladies are sitting together, transfixed as a handsome young actor seductively recites a poem to them. When he has finished Joanna Lumley, with the sauciest grin you've ever seen on her face, says: "Darling, you're in serious danger of turning me back into a heterosexual!"

That scene alone is enough to see this film - I was in stitches for about 3 minutes!

I saw Maybe Baby the other evening with my friend Ruth, at a sneak preview. We both had very mixed feelings about it, agreeing that for the first half an hour it was fresh, funny and entertaining.

Maybe I'm biased as I am a major Joanna Lumley fan, but as soon as she disappears from sight, something goes slightly wrong and I began to look at my watch wondering when it would finish.

One of the biggest problems with this film is the casting of Joely Richardson as Lucy, the woman who is so desperate to conceive a baby. She is such an irritating character, not to mention soppy and bossy, that you really don't give a hoot if she DOES become pregnant. Personally, I would worry for the offspring's sanity with Lucy as a mother.

On the other hand, Hugh Laurie managed to be funny, charming, sympathetic and endearing, while Emma Thompson was great in her one and only scene as their hippie pal.

I practically closed my eyes whenever Rowan Atkinson (as Lucy's gynacologist) appeared onscreen - WHY does he always play these braindead characters? He is far more effective in the wily and acid-tongued roles like Blackadder.

It's a sweetly undemanding film, but if you are expecting anything like Notting Hill or Four Weddings & A Funeral, you'll be very disappointed.

Having read the comments I am surprised that this film hasn't gotten a more positive reception. Maybe is is just me but I love British comedy. Actually, I just love the British, dispite their dislike of us. The problem is that I can't understand half of what the characters are saying. It's weird, I love to hear Brits talk but for some reason or other it is like listening to a foreign language. I bought the DVD of "Maybe Baby" just so I can watch it until I get the dialogue down.

The story involves an infertile couple who go to extremes in an attempt to get pregnant though they are both healthy and individually capable of procreating. Joely Richardson is beautiful and talented and the main reason for my attraction to the movie. Much has been said about the bevy of British comedians in the film but I must admit to not being familiar with any of them. I particularly liked the character of the movie director. He cracked me up, though he was the most difficult to understand. I rate it at 7/10 until I get the dialogue down.

BBC producer and scriptwriter Sam is married to Lucy and are trying for a child. As they try all sorts of methods to improve their chances, Sam's work begins to suffer until it is suggested that he write about something close to his own life. He begins to develop a script based on his and Lucy's attempts to get pregnant – without her knowledge. However prying into he diary for more info he gets more than he bargained for.

A BBC film this features so many stars of BBC TV comedy that you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a sitcom with high production values. In fact much of the plot and the laughs come very much from the sitcom school of writing, albeit of a slightly higher quality. There are quite a few very funny bits, plenty of saucy moments and jokes and some very soapy, sweet bits. It does feel like a sitcom with high ideas – although it still manages to be gently entertaining, if never exactly brilliant in any sense.

Laurie is good without showing the wit that made him famous, while Richardson is very good back in a British film. The rest of the cast is made up of big stars like Lumley, French etc in all sorts of role and then a host of faces where you'll be struggling to remember where you saw them – I got at least two Eastenders actors in very small roles.

Overall if you like UK sitcoms then this'll be right up your street (and a little bit better than what you're used to), if you don't then this is very slight but it still might win you over.

This romantic comedy lost its way a bit leaving it only partly romantic and I'm afraid not always very funny. There are a few shots at Auntie (the BBC for our overseas readers) and several very good lines though some may be very familiar to those who have seen writer Ben Elton's stand up show or his BBC series.

A full cast of 80s alternative comedians makes their appearance, Emma Thompson almost looking identical to her mother in 'Saving Grace' in her mad hippie cameo and Dawn French affecting a bizarre Aussie accent as a nurse.

Hugh Laurie does well as always in his role as a sort of alternative 90s Cary Grant and James Purefoy will get most people's juices running (cf. the line by Joanna Lumley's character quoted in an earlier comment) but all in all this just wasn't funny enough, I don't know why, perhaps there were just too many targets.

Only 6/10 from me I'm afraid.