Ninjababy

We saw this at our local film festival with a bunch of other cranky old geezers who historically never agree on any movie --- but every one of us really liked this movie.

Sweet and funny. Highly recommended.

Rakel, the protagonist of Yvgvild Sve Flikke's film 'Ninjababy', is a nerdy slacker with the ambition of becoming a cartoonist, who discovers to her shock she is many months pregnant. We see how she responds, in a film that is often hilarious and also cleverly constructed, with Rakel's inner thoughts conveyed through the cartoons she draws about her un-asked for child. Her pyschology is believable and presented without judgement. The eventual ending is perhaps a little soft, but overall it's a fresh, funny and perceptive movie.

It's not really a comedy, though there's humor. It's more like a quirky drama about pregnancy, being a parent and finding out what you want in life. Acting is quite good, especially by the main actress, it's very well written and thought through, and the director also did a very good job. The story is deceptively simple but isn't really. It's a little film about serious topics but done with enough charm and wit to be quite entertaining. The ending is bittersweet.

This wholesome absurd comedy Is one of the best-kept secrets of this year which seamlessly blends animation with live-action. Directed by Yngvild Sve Flikke, this is a typical pregnancy dramedy film which follows the journey of a cartoonist Rakel (Kristine Thorp), an ABBA hater, avid lover of booze and sex with no strings attached lifestyle in her 20s. She lives with Ingrid (Tora Dietrichson) her best friend. The bond between them is like Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha (2012), Icíar Bollaín's Hi, Are You Alone? (1995), Legendary Dan Sallitt's Fourteen (2019), Anaïs Volpé's The Braves (2021), Jeanine Meerapfel's The Girlfriend (1988) and Claudia Weill's Girlfriends (1978).

Life starts to fall apart when Rakel is asked by Ingrid about her weight gain and is advised to take a pregnancy test. She is in denial and begins to fret. Later, she decides to visit the clinic for a termination, accompanied by Mos (Nader Khademi), an aikido instructor with whom she had a one-night stand with recently. At the clinic, Rakel is shocked to discover that Mos is not the father and she's actually 6 month pregnant and too late for an abortion. On the other hand, the suitor is known as Dick Jesus (Arthur Berning), a self-possessed and narcistic man who is unwilling to take up the father figure role. What follows is a peculiar mix between comedy and coming of age with all the genre theatrics and a believable ending when the sketchbook is complete.

However, the seriousness of the drama deepens and, together with the Rakel, we encounter the increasingly absurd situations and the funny banters with the talking animated fetus who she christens as Ninjababy.

The real fun starts from the moment Ninjababy (voiced by Herman Tømmeraas) jumps out as an animated doodle with a bandit mask and follows her around, raising questions and demands company (explanation). One of my favourite scene is when Rakel is asked by Dick Jesus not to look down on his private part, She can't resist Ninajababy interrupts and end up having sex together. The entire sequence is funny and I was laughing the whole time.

The animated doodle mocks Rakel and is embarassed that she let Dick Jesus to have sex and the result is the pregnancy. Ninjababy goes on to say that Angelina Jolie would be a good mother. The story arc within the discussion between Ninjababy and Rakel moves at a funny pace. Nearly every dialogue is like provoking a debate between opposite beliefs, and touches upon various sensitive topics and taboos of motherhood. There's a dose of gags in every conversation which I liked a lot.

Final thoughts, I know the some might recall Sam Mendes, Jason Reitman, So Yong Kim, Alex Thompson, Joachim Trier, Noah Baumbach, Judd Apatow, Nicolas Bedos, Lena Dunham, Antonin Peretjatko, Sébastien Betbeder, Miguel Gomes, Azazel Jacobs, Curtis Vowell, Gabor Reisz, Pedro Morelli, and even Aki Kaurismäki. Regardless, this film has a lot more life to offer, sure to impress in the field of characters and styles which will leave you with a lasting smile.

Films about unexpected pregnancies are rare enough, but a film that is brave enough to delve into the awkwardness and difficulties in the way that Ninjababy does is even rarer.

You'll laugh and you may well cry. But you'll enjoy every moment.