Babes
As an avid moviegoer, my routine in the theater is almost clockwork. It had been so long since my last visit that I hadn’t recognized all the trailers. I know the timing of trailers to a tee, but I hadn’t considered that new movies would continue to come out. I saw Babes last night, and it made me so thankful for my AMC Stubs membership. This movie was by no means a smash blockbuster hit, but it definitely earned a place at the table. I wouldn’t have seen the trailer if I wasn’t seeing so many movies, and that doesn’t even factor in that having to pay for a movie ticket is a huge con in a streaming society. I walked out of the theater feeling warm fuzzies, but the eight other people in the theater and myself had great reason.
Getting sidetracked, it was also laugh-out-loud funny. It was truly a fantastic experience from beginning to end. An incredible production and the video/audio choices are what made this film convey such an interpersonal connection, but what got me in the theater was seeing the trailer a little bit ago. A few different times, but then once again with Rolling Stone’s testimonial graphic pops up, calling it the “Bridesmaids of babymaking." Sold.
It held up, too!
The sentimental tone was, of course, based on the emotional connection between our characters. That being said, I caught myself a few times staring at the screen and taking in the music choices, and truly, this movie would not have been “good” without it. The dialogue is mediocre (being generous) but definitely witty. Clever can only do so much. If you are telling a story about motherhood, friendship, love, etc., you need emotional scripting. I felt the writing was weak. Hilarious—but anytime the characters got deep, the tempo of the film came to a screeching halt, as if it were relying on gimmicks. It felt forced as much as it felt necessary, but the recovery is in the choice of music. Quirky at times, but also not driving the plot. Supporting the pace while keeping hard things light and comedic.Also, the film reel aesthetic choices; I noticed them right out of the gate, and the transitional moments in the story followed suit to mimic. Observational, like people watching through the eye of a lens with a rounded edge. I almost wish there was a little grain to it; the nostalgia factor came through perfectly. Even if only for a moment, the tactic was valuable to this movie being over the top or poorly done.
The film follows inseparable childhood friends Eden (Ilana Glazer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau), who grew up together in New York and are now in opposite stages of adulthood. For the past 27 years, the pair has celebrated Thanksgiving by watching a movie together, and the tradition is becoming increasingly difficult to uphold. Eden's commute to see her friend is laborious, involving multiple trains and hours. Dawn finds it almost logistically impossible with all of the demands of having a family. The movie does a fantastic job of showing both of their blind spots and being sympathetic to each of them. Eden has high expectations from Dawn, but she is also willing to make sacrifices for their relationship. Dawn takes Eden's commitment for granted and believes she deserves more passes because she has a family, but she is also dealing with a lot and cannot give herself any grace.
This movie explores the intricacies of female friendship through humor, tears, and labor pains. Eden decides to keep her baby and join her bestie in motherhood. She expected to ease into single motherhood seamlessly with Dawn by her side, not realizing how overwhelmed Dawn is by everything happening in her own life. When Eden, single and carefree, chooses to carry a kid on her own after a one-night fling, their friendship is tested to its limits.
Rating: 9.1/10
I really enjoyed this one. It felt original but I think it was just on the delivery. No one held back and the chemistry between the cast— it was a super fun watch. Easy to digest and I called my bestie for a chit chat in the parking lot. See it, it’s short and sweet.
