Movie Review

Pregnancy tests the relationship of lifelong friends in Babes

Michelle Buteau and Ilana Glazer in Babes

Photo courtesy of Neon

The act of being pregnant has been treated in so many different ways in movie history that it could be considered one of the most malleable plot points of all time. It can be a blessing or a curse (or a blessing that turns into a curse). It can be a happy accident, a longtime struggle, or a complete surprise. And it can be adapted into multiple different genres, from comedy to drama to horror (action seems to be missing from the list, but that day is probably coming soon).

Babes joins the long lineage of comedies based around someone being pregnant, but with it coming from the mind of writer/producer/star Ilana Glazer, the approach is not as sentimental as other films. Eden (Glazer) is best friends with Dawn (Michelle Buteau), who gives birth to her second child early in the film. On her long subway ride back home from the hospital, Eden has a meet-cute with Claude (Stephan James), and the two end up having a one-night-stand that results in her getting pregnant.

Although seemingly unprepared for life as a single mother, Eden pushes ahead with the pregnancy anyway. Expecting Dawn to help her every step of the way given their lifelong friendship, Eden is surprised when the family and job stresses in Dawn’s life take priority over accompanying Eden to doctor appointments. However, Eden’s free spirit nature helps her roll with the punches even as the pregnancy progresses.

Directed by Pamela Adlon and written by Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz, the film – despite having pregnancy at it center – is more about female friendship, self-discovery, and dealing with the changes life throws your way. The relationship between Eden and Dawn is as close as you can get, with each woman unafraid to visually check how dilated the other is, or lay out brutal honesty if the situation calls for it.

As anyone who’s watched Glazer’s sketch show Broad City will know, she doesn’t know a situation that she won’t try to defuse with bawdy humor. And so the film is full of profane conversations, some of which work well, but unfortunately just as many that do not. Eden use a certain feline term for her vagina both with Dawn and with her gynecologist, a lack of situational awareness that demonstrates her unfiltered nature, but feels odd in a film that’s otherwise supposed be grounded in reality.

What’s really strange is that this is Glazer’s second pregnancy-themed movie in a row, following 2021’s False Positive, which she also co-wrote. That film was a (supposed) thriller about a woman possibly experiencing hallucinations during pregnancy, and while this film takes a rosier view of pregnancy in general, it too deals with fears of what having a child can bring. Glazer, who had her first child in 2021, clearly has a lot of thoughts on the effects of pregnancy, even if neither movie is fully successful.

Glazer is at home in the comedic realm and remains an appealing performer despite not all of the situations landing as well as she might have hoped. Buteau is not as well-known, but she ably joins in on the fun with Glazer, and shows off decent chemistry with Hasan Minhaj, who plays her husband. John Carroll Lynch shows up for a one-note role as Eden’s doctor, and Oliver Platt doesn’t register at all as Eden’s dad.

While it has some funny moments, Babes could have used some extra polish to be more entertaining. Glazer and Buteau play well off each other, but in the end the connection their characters forge doesn’t reach the level of the best movie friendships.

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Babes will open widely on May 24.

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Movie Review

Twin sisters set out for revenge in Tarantino-esque film 'Is God Is'

Photo by Patti Perret

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Is God Is.

The revenge story is one of the most enduring in all of cinema as it can be adapted to multiple different genres. It most naturally fits in the action/thriller genre, but comedies, dramas, Westerns, and more have made good use of characters seeking revenge. The new film Is God Is demonstrates that malleability by detailing an intensely personal story that turns into something bigger.

Twins Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) have lived a difficult life, going in and out of foster care and forced to endure stares and taunts because each bears burn scars from a childhood attack. Racine, whose scars are “only” on her left arm, has developed into the protector of Anaia, who suffered burns over much of her face.

An unexpected call from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), who was burned almost beyond recognition in the attack, gives them a purpose: Seeking revenge on the man who ruined their lives. Setting out in a barely working car and with only a small amount of direction, the sisters attempt to fulfill the mission without losing their souls.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Aleasha Harris, the film may remind some viewers of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and not just because Fox has small roles in both films. Harris has a knack for dialogue, especially between the twins, that ably gets across the story exposition and entertains at the same time. There are many instances where she has the sisters hold silent conversations told on screen via subtitles to convey twin-speak, a method that deepens their connection and draws the viewer in.

Harris also has her characters engage in the type of shocking violence that Tarantino has used to great effect. The difference here, though, is that even though the story is heightened to a certain degree, the egregious nature of the crime perpetrated upon the girls and their mother makes the whole thing feel bracingly real. This revenge plot is not meant to merely entertain; it’s designed to put the audience in Racine and Anaia’s shoes and fully embrace the call for justice.

There are a few times when the lack of experience by Harris shows up, especially in the climactic sequence where the stunt work could have used some more precision. But overall, it’s a self-assured filmmaking debut for the playwright-turned-director, who’s adapted her own play with a richness and depth that is not often found from someone stepping behind the camera for the first time.

Young and Johnson don’t especially look alike, but they embody the essence of twin sisters, and it’s their chemistry together that makes the story as impactful as it is. They’re joined by other strong female performances by Fox, Erika Alexander, and Janelle Monáe, each of whom brings a different vibe. And anyone who loves This is Us or Paradise should prepare themselves for a completely different kind of role for Sterling K. Brown.

Is God Is uses a variety of inspirations for its storytelling, but in the end it becomes its own thing. The filmmaking world can always stand to have another strong Black voice, and Harris has made an auspicious debut, one that should have cinephiles wondering what she’ll do next.

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Is God Is opens in theaters on May 15.

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