Review of Obvious Child (2014) by Roni C — 18 Aug 2015
When tackling the touchy issue of abortion, Gillian Robespierre does it with the kind of heartbreaking humor and honesty that personifies itself in Obvious Child's star, Jenny Slate. This character piece on the modern twenty-something female in the Big City, is as delightfully wry as it is...what's the word? I'm heading outside of the english language for this-- as it is kilig.
The feeling when you watch a rom-com, the shy smile that you try to hide in the darkness, the overwhelming warmth you feel practically every time Slate and Lacy have a scene together, that, in Tagalog, is called kilig. It's kilig that brings Obvious Child out of the darkness of an "abortion" movie and into a hilarious, smart, and uninhibited romantic comedy for a generation of viewers, especially women, who may have been told that they shouldn't be any of those things.
Robespierre makes sure not to romanticize abortion, but rather, she covers all the bases: the costs, the time, the effort, the waiting, dealing with your soon-to-be former baby daddy. Though the subject is hot-button and groundbreaking, the film's real charm is in it's characters. In the end, you won't be weeping for anyone's loss, but all smiles over everyone's gain.
This review of Obvious Child (2014) was written by Roni C on 18 Aug 2015.
Obvious Child has generally received positive reviews.
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