Jason KingBABIES: A Review
May 4th 2011 20:54
:
Review by Dave
Category: Reviews
With special thanks to Dave from Damn Good Cup dot Com for attended this preview in my place. I was disappointed in missing this one - it is all about cute and sensational visuals of babies - think an Anne Geddes movie with no story where you can all go gaga watching these bubs in their natural environment. Dave wasn't a huge fan - but then he's a big meanie who hates babies 
Jokes - enjoy his review and thanks Dave!
An inconsequential documentary, BABIES accounts the lives of four newborns from four varying cultures. Their names are Ponijao, Bayarjargal, Mari and Hatie, and they live in Namibia, Mongolia, Japan and the United States respectively. The film is directed by Thomas Balmes (DAMAGES), and he co-wrote with Alain Chabat (director of Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra) whom also originated the idea.
The documentary takes us through the formative moments that happen in our first months of life- but that's all it ends up doing. It's just those funny moments, from the inquisitive glances to those innocent sexual actions. From accidental falls to first words. I found the movie a little slow and boring - but I'm sure that's only because I do not yet have children.
While it's interesting to see how these different cultures relate, and it's entertaining to watch babies do stupid things; like fart in another child's face - or even to try and steal a feed from a breast that isn't their mothers; BABIES isn't trying to make commentary on child raising, or to be the definitive statement on infants: it's just trying to be light and entertaining. And in that respect it is.
But thats what makes the movie so painfully superficial.
Even though it's interesting to see the (very minute) differences between the four different countries, and how that affects each parent's method of raising their child; you just wonder what the point is? There isn't really a reason for the babies to be from different countries (besides changing up the setting to make it seem different). The countries may be different but the movie is about the Babies.
And the Infants themselves aren't really that much different from one another. They're kind of like goldfish. Enjoyable for a while, then just boring and in need of being fed.
I think the movie will work really well for new parents (for obvious reasons) and for people who have children (it's why the movie is opening so close to Mother's Day). But for lovers of movies I don't really know what there is here. For one, the movie isn't that impressive to look at - it's all shot on low grade digital cameras - but saying that; there is an amicable simplicity to the style. Nothing distracts from the behavior of the babies, and the film never cuts to people talking, and offering a perspective on the children/country. It's a good thing.
And it's a bad thing. There is no dialogue - besides the incidental background shot. It's ironic to criticize a visual medium for having no dialogue, but as no-one is discussing anything (and the Babies don't do anything differently across each country); there is no real indication of the social status or potential future of each of children. Without any perspective offered their isn't any to be gained. Without that, there really isn't anything to relate to. I'd like to say that the movie coasts along on its cuteness (and that we were all once babies), but I didn't think it was enough to warrant an hour and a half. A short film or a television episode sure, but not a feature, and certainly not projected onto a huge screen.
It's not like the movie is played in complete silence - there is peripheral dialogue: of the "oh honey, look at that" variety), and it has an affecting and quaint soundtrack (by TRAVELLING BIRD'S composer Bruno Coulais), but the film mostly plays like a series of montages or music videos; the first focusing on birth, followed by one on eating, followed by first steps and so on. After a while it becomes turgid and lackluster. There are no major differences between the countries (and you know this can't be true in reality), there are no discussions/ or indications of money and how social status affects infant raising.
For a documentary I found the lack of depth infuriating, but if you're in for a light and fun simplistic time you may enjoy the film.
After all It is called BABIES - and in the most literal sense that is exactly what the movie is. Nothing more. Nothing less.
5 out of 10.
Jokes - enjoy his review and thanks Dave!An inconsequential documentary, BABIES accounts the lives of four newborns from four varying cultures. Their names are Ponijao, Bayarjargal, Mari and Hatie, and they live in Namibia, Mongolia, Japan and the United States respectively. The film is directed by Thomas Balmes (DAMAGES), and he co-wrote with Alain Chabat (director of Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra) whom also originated the idea.
The documentary takes us through the formative moments that happen in our first months of life- but that's all it ends up doing. It's just those funny moments, from the inquisitive glances to those innocent sexual actions. From accidental falls to first words. I found the movie a little slow and boring - but I'm sure that's only because I do not yet have children.
While it's interesting to see how these different cultures relate, and it's entertaining to watch babies do stupid things; like fart in another child's face - or even to try and steal a feed from a breast that isn't their mothers; BABIES isn't trying to make commentary on child raising, or to be the definitive statement on infants: it's just trying to be light and entertaining. And in that respect it is.
But thats what makes the movie so painfully superficial.
Even though it's interesting to see the (very minute) differences between the four different countries, and how that affects each parent's method of raising their child; you just wonder what the point is? There isn't really a reason for the babies to be from different countries (besides changing up the setting to make it seem different). The countries may be different but the movie is about the Babies.
And the Infants themselves aren't really that much different from one another. They're kind of like goldfish. Enjoyable for a while, then just boring and in need of being fed.
I think the movie will work really well for new parents (for obvious reasons) and for people who have children (it's why the movie is opening so close to Mother's Day). But for lovers of movies I don't really know what there is here. For one, the movie isn't that impressive to look at - it's all shot on low grade digital cameras - but saying that; there is an amicable simplicity to the style. Nothing distracts from the behavior of the babies, and the film never cuts to people talking, and offering a perspective on the children/country. It's a good thing.
And it's a bad thing. There is no dialogue - besides the incidental background shot. It's ironic to criticize a visual medium for having no dialogue, but as no-one is discussing anything (and the Babies don't do anything differently across each country); there is no real indication of the social status or potential future of each of children. Without any perspective offered their isn't any to be gained. Without that, there really isn't anything to relate to. I'd like to say that the movie coasts along on its cuteness (and that we were all once babies), but I didn't think it was enough to warrant an hour and a half. A short film or a television episode sure, but not a feature, and certainly not projected onto a huge screen.
It's not like the movie is played in complete silence - there is peripheral dialogue: of the "oh honey, look at that" variety), and it has an affecting and quaint soundtrack (by TRAVELLING BIRD'S composer Bruno Coulais), but the film mostly plays like a series of montages or music videos; the first focusing on birth, followed by one on eating, followed by first steps and so on. After a while it becomes turgid and lackluster. There are no major differences between the countries (and you know this can't be true in reality), there are no discussions/ or indications of money and how social status affects infant raising.
For a documentary I found the lack of depth infuriating, but if you're in for a light and fun simplistic time you may enjoy the film.
After all It is called BABIES - and in the most literal sense that is exactly what the movie is. Nothing more. Nothing less.
5 out of 10.
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