The Big Picture
-
Babes
is an empathetic comedy with a New York state of mind. - Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau are a killer comedic duo.
- Pamela Adlonâs feature directorial debut brings the funny.
New York City-born actress, writer, producer, and debut director Pamela Adlon delivers an authentically Big Apple comedy with Babes. Where co-writer and co-lead ââIlana Glazer brings her trademark Broad City silliness, Adlonâs vision veers more toward Woody Allenâs New York tales or Louis C.K.âs self-titled FX series Louie. Itâs a collaboration that frequently works, except when warring intentions separate like oil and vinegar. Perhaps that starts with the screenplay, where Glazer and writing partner Josh Rabinowitz find their wackier humor at odds with straight-faced pregnancy woes. Babes succeeds as a comedy with enough primetime laughs â thatâs (typically) what happens when hilarious comedians join forces â but never fully jells into a balanced experience between prenatal jokes and dead-serious subplots.
Babes (2024)
It tells the story of Eden who becomes pregnant from a one-night-stand and leans on her married best friend and mother of two to guide her.
- Release Date
- May 17, 2024
- Runtime
- 109 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Writers
- Ilana Glazer , Josh Rabinowitz
Glazer and Survival of the Thickest star Michelle Buteau play forever besties on opposite sides of the lifestyle spectrum. Eden (Glazer) teaches yoga in her Astoria studio apartment and embraces the freedoms of singlehood, reminiscent of a more mature take on Ilana Wexler. Dawn (Buteau) is pregnant with her second child, fulfilling a domesticated brownstone existence with her glazed-over husband Marty (Hasan Minhaj). Eden and Dawnâs bond transcends bloodlines, but even their impenetrable friendship will be tested when the unthinkable happens: Eden gets pregnant. Thereâs no more yin to yang, just raging hormones and an evolving friendship under mommy-to-be duress.
‘Babes’ Has a Real Sense of Place
Glazer, Rabinowitz, and Adlon create something so New York City that it has a go-to bodega order. Edenâs impromptu subway car sushi date with multiple transfers is spontaneously sweet and terrifyingly unsanitary at the same time, which is cheekily acknowledged. Eden and Dawnâs reliance on yellow cabs or Lyfts despite âleakageâ and labor pains accentuates the utterly ridiculous challenges of childbirth in major metropolitan areas. The nonchalant temper of passersby or Edenâs âGotta love New Yorkâ attitude is priceless and grants Babes its behavioral edge. Comedy starts with Eden and Dawnâs opposing attributes, but only gets better once intrinsically NYC signatures are roasted with an organic presentness that had this almost decade-long Brooklynite pining for another late-night G Train excursion.
Even better, Babes isnât just about pre-and-post baby drama. Itâs as much an honest depiction of 30-something friendships and being single in a world that prioritizes coupling. Glazer and Rabinowitzâs writing stumbles in sections with Edenâs decision to see her pregnancy through, helped by relevant commentaries about socializing after younger, carefree party eras fade into responsibility and excruciating hangovers. Thereâs potent emotionality throughout Eden and Dawnâs hardships as besties in vastly different existential mindsets. Edenâs trying to wrap her head around an independent-parent pregnancy despite exhibiting childish antics; Dawnâs restarting parenthood for a second exhausting round. Babes doesnât sugarcoat the doldrums and loneliness that come along with growing older, beyond the psychological and physical torture women endure when creating new lives.
Babes is an undeniably lovable movie when it matters, even sans Glazer and Buteauâs infectious chemistry. From lactation-fueled mushroom hallucinations to nonsensical shorthand âconversationsâ that are just different pronunciations of slang terms, Eden and Dawn put the fun back in dysfunctionalâbut they arenât the only standouts. John Carroll Lynch makes the most of his OB-GYN as self-conscious hair choices worsen, and Minhajâs partner is a pitch-perfect ally in the most âYes, dearâ persistence. Between Darren Crissâ put-him-on-a-watchlist doula, [redacted voice cameo] as Dawnâs breasts, and Edenâs reaction to intense early-term horniness, thereâs enough whackjob entertainment to appreciate. When Babes gets closest to Broad City, or calls back to classic horror nightmares, Adlon pumps out laughs like they’re automatic.
Babes Is Sincere to a Fault
Alternatively, when Babes loses its sense of humor, thereâs a wedge driven between the filmâs two objectives. Some parts appear to hold back, staying on best behavior for more serious audiences, while others begrudge stuffy restraints. Oliver Plattâs performance as Edenâs flighty father doesnât land the intended impact, nor does Edenâs decision to forgo abortion beget an appropriately revealing interrogation. Adlonâs instincts when directing dramatic crescendos rub against lighthearted gags with noticeable friction, almost like two movies vying for on-screen dominance. Glazer and Buteauâs comedic identities are harmonious, but the overall production is out of tune.
Even so, Babes doesnât squander its comedic potential nor miss serving omnipresent views on childbirth that address its tortures, sorrows, and not-so-dreamy realities. Adlonâs no-bullshit, in-your-face roles translate into a similarly open and blunt portrayal of how mothers are treated like nameless offspring factories or the crushing depressions that can accompany one of lifeâs all-time miracles. Itâs hardly a downer of a film, donât get things twistedâBabes just doesnât Hollywoodize something inherently traumatic through rosy glasses. That only makes Glazer and Rabinowitzâs story that much easier to appreciate, warts and all.
Babes (2024)
REVIEW
Babes might feel off-kilter at times, but is successfully genuine across the boardâgenuinely funny, genuinely New Yawk, genuinely fearful, and most of all, genuinely open about the highs and lows of pregnancy.
- Adlon, Glazer, and Buteau play to their strengths.
- There are some pretty big laughs to be found.
- No scene shies away from the grosser details that accompany baby bumps without sending audiences fleeing.
- There?s a wedge driven between drama and humor.
- Storytelling beats sometimes feel shoehorned in without a proper fit.
- Can feel like a film that?s at odds with itself.
Babes is now playing in theaters in the U.S. Click below for showtimes near you.
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