Movie Review - Babies

Babies (2010)

Directed by Thomas Balmes
***Currently streaming on Netflix***

Babies are cute.  And this film does nothing to dispute that notion.  Then again, the film also says next to nothing, showing not an ounce of depth or weightiness.  Ultimately, I'm not sure why Babies was ever made...but it was a moderately enjoyable eighty minute distraction that made me smile, laugh, and kind of wish I was a father.  [Plus, for all you lovers of National Geographic-style nudity, there's probably more breasts and bottoms per minute than in any film you'll see this year.]

As I said, I don't quite know why this film exists, but it follows around four babies over the course of their first years -- Ponijao from Namibia, Mari from Japan, Hattie from San Fransisco, and Bayarjargal (the only male) from Mongolia.  Obviously, there's quite a difference in the environment in which these kids are raised and I couldn't help but kind of feel bad for US resident, Hattie, whose parents are certainly raising her with their hippie mindset fully in place.  I couldn't help but think that the filmmaker was taking slight jabs at industrialized society -- the parents of Mari and Hattie were depicted (to me at least) as a little foolish.  But, I'm probably just reading into things way too much.

Anyway, this short little review has rambled all over the place, but the movie does that, too -- moving from cute baby to cute baby.  But, you know, sometimes cute babies are fascinating to watch.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-