Good intentions struggle to deliver enough from 'Babes'
NEON
A late scene in “Babes” is almost so fantastic as to compensate for the rest of the movie: Longtime best friends Eden (co-writer Ilana Glazer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau) have taken a babymoon in advance of Eden delivering her first child but also so Dawn, beyond exhausted from the recent arrival of her second child and going back to work as a dentist, can get some much needed relaxation time. But sitting outside for a seemingly peaceful dinner, it’s clear this trip is two people on parallel paths rather than a shared experience, and the conflict that results brings raw freshness to the exploration of how friendships evolve (or don’t) as life stages change. It’s by far the movie’s most potent moment.
Otherwise, “Babes” does feel like the discount version of “Bridesmaids,” hinging on a similar narrative of two friends navigating the changes and emerging distance in their lives while going through big moments in adulthood, drawing comedy from the realities of bodily functions and their occasional occurrence during inopportune times. For the record: Telling relatable stories about how intimate relationships are challenged by the passing of time is very relevant, as is the effort of “Babes” to depict the numerous hardships involved in pregnancy and parenting.
Yet where “Scrambled” managed to be both hilarious and revealing about fertility inequality and a 30-something woman’s new motherhood experience in America (obviously, there is a lot more to say and cover about this regarding reproductive rights and much more), the underwritten “Babes” feels stale in terms of the central characters and leaden in terms of laughs, with first-time feature director Pamela Adlon (“Better Things”) failing to generate the energy needed to prevent weak jokes from feeling like they’re waiting for a laugh track. Glazer and Buteau certainly prove that they can anchor a film (aside from a cliche and under-explored climactic decision that no one can make convincing under the circumstances), and the supporting cast is appealing too, including Stephan James in a brief but important role, an underused Hasan Minhaj as Dawn’s husband, and John Carroll Lynch as Eden’s doctor with a new unappealing hairstyle at each appointment.
Yet even at just south of 100 minutes, “Babes” spends most of its time dragging. Perhaps that’s an intentional replication of Eden and Dawn working to hold up their bond against what they’re each experiencing and what that means for them as friends. But comedy needs a spark, and drama needs impact, and “Babes” comes up short in both areas.
C
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