28. Baby Done; movie review

 

 

BABY DONE

Cert 15

91 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, sex references

Not only did Baby Done make us laugh more than any film for quite a while, but it also brought memories flooding back.

Yep, we have had two children so there are elements of Curtis Vowell's comedy which struck an (umbilical) c(h)ord.

But I hasten to add that Mrs W did not freak out like Rose Matafeo's character, Zoe.

She and her partner, Tim (Matthew Lewis) are determined that they will never be married or have kids, instead pursuing their work as tree surgeons and being non-boring thirtysomethings.

Until she discovers she is pregnant.

This prompts a tailspin of epic and occasionally hilarious proportions.

Baby Done works because of Matafeo. Sure, Lewis is an amiable foil but the Kiwi comic is infectious because she is loud, pulls great faces and is wonderfully-loosed limbed.

It helps that she is playing to a script which will spark either belly laughs or chuckles from knowing parents who remember the indignities of pregnancy.

These become heightened, as do insecurities because Zoe and Tim's is unplanned and they have only a few weeks to cram in their 'normal life' bucket list.

And, while Tim immerses himself in father-to-be-hood, Zoe goes into full-scale denial.

There is much fun to be had in the early stages of Baby Done when it dawns on the pair that imminent parenthood is real.

The visits to the clinic are a particular highlight as is how they tell Zoe's parents of the imminent birth.

Unfortunately, however, Vowell's film does lose its way when Zoe goes through a spell of being unfair and unkind to Tim.

Nevertheless, the overwhelming feeling we had after watching Baby Done was warm and it sparked a fun conversation about our own experiences of long ago.

I defy any mum and dads not to feel the same.

Reasons to watch: A lightener for the lockdown blues

Reasons to avoid: Loses its way for about 20 minutes

Laughs: Six

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? In New Zealand, 53% of all pregnancies are unplanned. In 2008, it was estimated that there were 51,481 unplanned pregnancies and 24, 131 births from unplanned pregnancies.

The final word. Rose Matafeo: "It’s 90 minutes of freakout. It ramps up more and more to the extent where you're like 'what is she doing?' It pushes it to the furthest degree. It's ridiculous and fun and funny. Maybe that's more a reflection of my personality in that everything she does in the film makes complete sense to me." Viva NZ

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