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| Review by Benn Robbins |
I honestly didn’t know what to expect going into Obvious Child, the new film by writer/director Gillian Robesierre.
For her first feature film I thought it was fantastic.
This “not-your-average” romantic comedy is a refreshing look at the ups and pitfalls of romance, one night stands, love, pregnancy and ultimately abortion.
In fact, what I love is that this film is about how two very opposite people find love even when dealing with the sticky subject of abortion. It, in fact, becomes the thing that ends up bringing them closer instead of the usual film trope of tearing them apart, typical of these types of films.
As the film starts out we watch the main character, Donna, performing her very straightforward and unflinching comedy act, mostly about her female parts and sex life with her boyfriend. She is brilliantly played by Milton, MA native, Jenny Slate. This is a little too much for said boyfriend, as she finds out when he dumps her in the co-ed bathroom of the club. This leaves her a bumbling, emotional wreck. The scene, in her apartment, right after being dumped and after a bottle of cheap wine, where she calls her shitty boyfriend multiple times harkens back to the uneasiness and uncomfortableness of Swingers, when Jon Favreau makes a complete ass of himself after getting a girl’s number at a bar.
Enter Max. A rather normal, unimposing and sweet guy whom Donna meets after one of her shows at the bar of the adjoining club she performs at. Max is wonderfully played by Jake Lacy (Pete from the U.S. The Office) and he is the perfect unsuspecting one-night stand turned chivalrous knight in slip on loafers.
What starts out as as a sort of despicable people doing kinda crappy things to each other slowly and enjoyably turns into one of the sweetest rom-coms I have seen in a while.
Jenny Slate’s Donna is the perfect combination of scathing in-your-face shock comedian and vulnerable lost soul who just doesn’t know what she wants out of life. I quickly found myself in love with her and cringed when I saw her doing some of the exact same things I did when I was faced with the dump truck of life.
The writing and direction harken back to classic Woody Allen and Neil Simon mixed with generous spoonfuls of Nora Ephron. Gillian Robespierre really takes her place among some of the best before her with this film
This is a really well made and smart film that does not make an issue out of the woman’s right to choose or not to choose to have an abortion. It is just something that happens in the film, much like it does every day. It never says whether it is right or wrong, instead it leaves it up to the woman who is pregnant to decide. And I liked that her friends and the possible father all have their opinions and let her know how they feel but never tell her what to do. They are there to support her in whatever her decision is.
Did I mention all this happens right before and on Valentine’s Day?
No?
Well it does.
Rounding out the cast and supporting Slate and Lacy in their remarkable performances are Gabby Hoffman (Girls) as her loving and opinionated best friend, Nellie. Stand-up comedian, Gabe Liedman, as Donna’s gay comedian soul mate. Polly Draper as Donna’s professional matter-of-fact mother and in a wonderful bit of casting, Richard Kind (Spin City) as her Muppet creating/performing sweet dad. Finally David Cross in somewhat of a cameo as a fellow comedian and definite creeper who tries to make the moves on Donna.
All in all this film is really outstanding. I found it extremely refreshing and smart. It definitely made me cry as much as it made me smile and laugh. This is a good one folks with great acting and a well told story that comes from the heart.
I highly recommend it and I hope you get a chance to see it if you want something not usually spat out of the Hollywood machine.
