By – Gareth Jones

For fans of Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, Pamela Adlon, Female Buddy comedies

Bridesmaids set a very high bar for the gross-out female buddy comedies.  There have been several imitators since it came out in 2011.  There are several reasons that Babes stands out from the majority of these. First, it is directed by the great Pamela Adlon, who has moved beyond the shadow of Louis C.K. and being the timeless voice of Bobby on King of the Hill. It is also co-written by Ilena Glazer, who stars, and Broad City collaborator Josh Rabinowitz.  This is enhanced incredibly also by the hilarious Michelle Buteau who gets to display her phenomenal comedy as well as a nuanced performance.  All of this mixed together with a wonderful story about female friendship and the effects of pregnancy make it a hilarious and moving film.

It tells the story of two lifelong friends, Eden (Ilena Glazer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau).  Dawn has a child and is expecting a second.  Eden runs a yoga studio out of her apartment and Dawn is a dentist.  The first section of the film before she finds out she is pregnant do a great job of connecting you to the characters.  The sequence on the subway of two people meeting and connecting is expertly told and essential to the heart of the film, how do we connect to our fellow human beings. There is a magic to how we meet and find commonalities. This scene leads to a one-night stand, after which Eden finds herself pregnant and decides to have the child.  This greatly affects their relationship resulting in challenges and opportunities.  All of this is told in frank and graphic ways that will often make you laugh/cry.  It does not hide any of the often unmentioned aspects of pregnancy and the way it affects the bodies and minds of women.  Be prepared for some descriptions and visuals.  Of course, much of this is balanced with humor and when you have two professionals like Glazer and Buteau presenting this kind of material, it works in empathetic ways.

They are joined by some fantastic cast members.  Hassan Minaj, now a few years away from his Daily Show gig, and showing some range. He is often the straight man to the glory of Buteau.  The Lucas Brothers, brilliant stand-up comedians from the same New York scene, use their well-developed deadpan approach to what could be a very traumatic scene.  Oliver Platt has a small role as Eden’s disappearing father, but who connects in a meaningful way.  Combined with his work on The Bear we are getting some phenomenal Platt performances. Finally, John Carol Lynch, whose career started with Fargo, and has continued in so many different roles, both scary and humorous, is a scene stealer as the obstetrician.  The running gag of his hair brought me to tears.

Although I mentioned that there have been imitators of Bridesmaids after its success, there still have not been enough films directed by women about women. I am hopeful that she continues to get more opportunities to direct and tell stories from her perspective.  She has a marvelous ability to balance humor and pain in an empathetic way.  Of course, I am also beyond excited to see her do more Bobby Hill, which is on the horizon with the new production.

Available to stream on Hulu