Written by: Ilana Glazer & Josh Rabinowitz
Starring: Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, John Carroll Lynch, Oliver Platt, Sandra Bernhard
Rating: [4/5]
Family generally ascribes to those of blood relation and then those joined together by a sacramental bond like marriage. This often leaves friends from a classical sense on the outskirts, as they become last on the list of priorities. It happens all the time, even with myself without even thinking about it, where this understanding goes without being said. However, Babes, on top of having some hilarious comedy, takes a look at how this manifests between two friends, confronts it in a sincere manner, and couples that with their experience with pregnancy.
With Dawn (Michelle Buteau) in labor with her second child, her best friend Eden (Ilana Glazer) does not receive access to visit her in the hospital because she’s not in the immediate family. On her way home, she meets Claude (Stephan James) and after a magical night, she later learns that she is pregnant with his baby and must go through an experience she never thought she would have in bringing a child into this world all alone.
The enjoyment of comedy has so much subjectivity to it where varying styles will hit people in different ways and the level of enjoyment they could derive from it. Just read one of my reviews of beloved 80s films to exemplify that very notion. Ilana Glazer has such a distinct style in how she performs that may not be everyone’s cup of tea but when you get on her wavelength you can truly vibe with what she does. Admittedly, at first, I found myself struggling to connect with it but when it clicks you can truly appreciate what Glazer brings. Aside from the comedy this film delves into something quite poignant about friendship dynamics and how they evolve as people age and priorities continue to stack up.
Finding time for one’s friends comes easy when having a lack of responsibilities and young but as we age, other priorities set in and truly test the connection between friends. Eden runs into this when trying to continue to find quality time with Dawn but her friend has a newborn baby, a firstborn who’s becoming a handful, a husband, and a job putting stress on her shoulders. Naturally those would all come as a priority before Eden but of course our lead character does not see it that way, which makes for the melancholic moments this film has to offer. To the film’s credit, it does a splendid job mixing the general sadness of Eden in her circumstance with the more overwhelming comedy that dominates the majority of the runtime. It helps mellow out the, at times, ridiculously silly comedic bits allowing this all to feel like a well-thought and executed film.
In the same vein, Eden has to go through her own journey through an unexpected pregnancy and her experience brings such a comedically honest presentation of what it means to grow a human being within one’s body. Her lack of seriousness in taking this all on runs in line with her character. The questions she asks and the perspective she brings as someone who never thought this would happen to her brings a specific naïveté that makes the process so funny. It’s in these moments that Ilana Glazer truly shines as Eden, especially with the dynamic her character has with her OBGYN portrayed hilariously by John Carroll Lynch, who has a tremendous running gag revolving around an ever-changing hairpiece.
On the other hand, Dawn has her own journey with the struggles in finding the right balance in her life and the pressures that comes with being the friend with all the responsibility. Michelle Buteau does a great job in exemplifying how much this can build up and the tender moments she shares with her husband Marty (Hasan Minhaj) brings its own sense of honesty to the experience of motherhood. In the end, that’s where Babes excels, it brings together a sincere honesty about the two stages of these women while also making a hilarious journey between them. Buteau and Glazer bounce off each other so well that it makes even the most ridiculous moments of the film more than bearable.
Such a delightful time with jokes that do not always land but those that do have a perfect landing. Babes provides a comedically honest look at both pregnancy and motherhood through Eden and Dawn as they navigate it while still trying to find time for each other. Pamela Adlon, who I have always appreciated in front of the camera, steps in as the director and makes a good impression in highlighting the talents of the actors she had at her disposal. However, this remains the Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau show, and they completely show out in delivering the sincerity and top-notch comedy this story seeks to and succeeds in evoking.
Films with Josh 
