Maybe Baby
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Movie Reviews of Maybe Baby
Movie Review: Inconsistent and politically correct
Summary: 2 Stars
The first half of this movie starts out promising; the 2nd half is not so good.
It becomes slowly predictable and stereotypical, whereas it started out charming and promising.
Of particular annoyance is the ending, where we find the hackneyed politically-correct stereotype of the husband having to admit culpability for all the wrongs of the couple's separation, and the woman never having to admit her half of the bargain, despite the fact that she was clearly as poor a communicator as he.
Indeed, the wife's character is strikingly uneven in this movie: her personality appears to be one thing in the first half of the movie, but she seems to become a whole different person by the second half. Quite inconsistent.
Movie Review: "Never judge a DVD by its cover" - a lesson from the film Maybe Baby.
Summary: 1 Stars
I love British comedy. I, in fact, was having a conversation with a friend yesterday mentioning that the big difference between American comedy and British is the fact that they believe in more wit than physical humor. I love the humor of the BBC version of "The Office" as well as "Black Books" or "Vicar of Dibley" because instead of body humor or slapstick, they use their minds and command of the language. Rowan Atkinson is an exception, but his humor defies all boundaries. This is the reason I find myself enjoying less and less of what the major networks release, and focusing on what the BBC has to offer. I just finished watching a great series called "Clatterford", which is as dry as many martinis, but still a breath of fresh air compared to things like, "Notes from the Underbelly", Everybody Loves Raymond", or "The Real Wedding Crashers" (I realize the last doesn't quite fit, but I still need to include it among America's finest). So, when it was presented to me to watch a BBC film release staring some of Britain's finest like Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Dawn French, and, my favorite, Rowan Atkinson - I jumped at the chance. I had seen through "Nine Months" how America took over pregnancy, now I wanted to see how the BBC would do it. Alas, folks, all I can mention is how I wish some form of contraceptive, coupled with pain killers, were used to foil the plot and dull the pain.
"Maybe Baby" had quite a bit of potential - let me quickly list them off - a cast that is dynamite when it comes to comedy; a story that had the potential to be quite humorous, hysterical in fact; the parody of Danny Boyle could have been blown up considerably - adding to the goofiness of the plot; and finally, let me add, the cast again - Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson, Dawn French, and Hugh Laurie are some of the best that Britain has to offer and are typically guaranteed to make anyone in their right mind laugh. This said, why did this film hit the ground at the fastest speed possible thoroughly, and painfully, hurting everyone in it's path. "Maybe Baby" is quite possibly one of the worst films that I have seen this year because it is the biggest disappointment with such potential that I have ever witnessed. Our story is simple to write down, but on screen it is utterly disastrous. The BBC wants to be more cutting edge, Sam and Lucy want children but cannot conceive (does anyone see the humor yet), so we combine the pair. Sam begins writing about his life with his wife, the trials and tribulations of medically attempting to conceive, mixed with funny jokes that somehow only make the cast members laugh. Lucy finds out the truth, Sam grows a beard, and the end - well, is everything one would expect from an American romantic comedy. No surprises. No laughter. No excitement. Overall, I have discovered an American Hollywood film trying to pass as British intelligence. I call it The "Maybe Baby" Conspiracy.
I would like to begin this very negative review by saying Joely Richardson is by far one of the worst actresses I have witnessed in film. Maybe I haven't seen enough of her work to make that sort of comment, but after seeing "Maybe Baby", I feel confident in my response. Every scene was nothing but script reading and comic mis-timing. Nothing coming from her mouth seemed worth repeating or re-watching. She played the role of dumb blonde very, embarrassing, well. The scenes in which she has to show emotion was like watching cardboard try to cry, and that is not an over exaggeration. She attempts to show us a relationship with Sam (Hugh Laurie), but instead of a chemical romance, they seem to be enjoying the role of two actors playing a role. There is nothing to evoke emotion between the two of them. I didn't even think they were in "love" by the end of the film, they were a relationship of convenience and comfort. BEWARE! I need to add this about the remainder of the acting because this film may be misleading - Emma Thompson is in it for about three minutes, adding nothing of value or humor to the overall twist of the plot. Rowan Atkinson is a refreshing snack, but like everyone else, adds no meat to the film (it reminded me of Robin Williams in "Nine Months"). Then there is Dawn French - don't get me started here because it remains pitiful and a waste of talent. Coupled with the stagnet portrayals from the surrounding cast it just becomes a very painful moment in cinema as each minute passes.
The plot is devastating. With a cliché storyline we already know how it will end and what the characters will be doing/reacting before they probably do, I would hope the typical British wit would resonate strongly with the actor's dialogue. That, alas, is missing from this film. We are bombarded with characters that care nothing about money, are emotionless unless forced to be, and driven by no inner motivation outside of the paycheck. The lyrics to this film are even painful. There were no funny, punny, or laughable moments throughout the course of this film, which irritated me to no end. With such a bold cast, I wanted to be rolling on the floor with hysterics, but alas, nothing happened. The stale emotion translated well into the stale voice being heard from each of the voided characters. I wanted charm, wit, talent, and appeal with this film. I wanted to prove that American dictatorship over film hadn't leaked into the BBC mainstream, but again - I couldn't believe that I was that wrong.
"Trainspotting" is a film that defined a nation and brought a new wave of cinema into our theaters. I don't think a horrid film like "Maybe Baby" has the right to poke fun at it. I don't mind intelligent hobnobbery, but with this film it was just plain rude to Danny Boyle.
Overall, I cannot suggest this film to anyone even the most bland of comedy fans. Remember, if you choose to pick up this vile cinematic sludge, this is pre- "House" days, so do not see Laurie as what we Americans have come to expect from him. "Maybe Baby" is too big for its britches, as it tries to pack too much comedy into a nothingless film - thus transforming the comedy into a forgettable piece of garbage. There was nothing of value in this film, and while director Ben Elton has made his name in "Blackadder", I don't believe he has remembered much of his upbringing. After seeing this film, I would have to advise Elton to avoid working behind the cameras ever again. This was a very big disappointment for me as I had big hopes for this little film with big names.
The subtitle for this film should be: Never Judge A DVD By Its Cover.
Grade: * out of *****
Movie Review: Cruel and unusual punishment
Summary: 1 Stars
In most civilized countries, Maybe Baby would be banned as cruel and unusual punishment. Disproving the old adage about writing what you know, Ben Elton's horrendously arch comedy about infertility shows that only works when what you know is remotely interesting or convincing. Long before the half hour mark you'll be praying that these people be prevented from ever breeding. A string of DOA one-liners delivered by hideously OTT Britcom TV stars, Elton's direction is even worse than his script - he seems to think that because the screen is bigger than his usual sitcom turf the performances have to be too. Hugh Laurie, Adrian Lester and James Purefoy aside, it's a parade of excruciatingly unconvincing media stereotypes delivered at full volume for maximum pain, whether it's Joely Richardson proving that talent is not hereditary and demonstrating the comic timing of a whelk (and this is one of her better performances) or Rachel Stirling continuing her quest to prove herself as Britain's worst actress. There is one good tirade against bad British movies, but it falls somewhat flat in something that is, on its own terms, even worse than what it supposedly rails against.
Although this US version is cut by 10 minutes from the original UK cut, it's hard to get upset when the film was so poor to begin with.
Movie Review: An Abomination
Summary: 1 Stars
I adore Hugh Laurie. House is one of my favorite TV shows and I loved his portrayal of Bertie Wooster. So I ordered this sight unseen. HL's in it, it's gotta be great, right? Wrong. The "humor" is grotesque and unfunny and the story is totally unsatisfying. What a waste of Emma Thompson, too. I think this is the worst British movie I've ever seen.