6/10

Former SNL castmember Jenny Slate makes her feature film debut as Donna Stern, a New York City comedian. Donna is dumped by her boyfriend and loses her job in a 24 hour period. She soon meets Max (Jake Lacy) and after a long night of drinking and debauchery she gets pregnant. She decides to not tell him, and instead opts for an abortion. Obvious Child is an exposition on the effects of making such a decision that impacts another life. The loneliness of Donna is well documented by Slate as she sputters out of control in every facet of her life while trying to keep the news away from Max. I enjoyed the film, but i think it’s far from perfect. Slate is absolutely adorable in this role. She is a raspy dark haired vixen who serves as kind of an ‘anti-female’ that you normally see in a role like this. The film honestly felt like a Woody Allen comedy pre 1990’s. It’s written like a drama, but performed like a comedy, and it’s a very rich blend that turns into a romantic piece by the film’s end. The opening act of about 25 minutes or so starts very slow, and that is the weakest point for the film. The film shows a lot of scenes with Donna doing her stand up act, and it’s not even funny material, so the crowd in the bar feels very manufactured which took me out of the movie instantly. Luckily, the 2nd and 3rd acts of the film pick up the momentum with the dropping of the big news for our main protagonist. In addition to Slate’s charms, Lacy is every bit the powerhouse for a romantic comedy. His gentle graces were just begging to be put into a film of this type, and it’s a script that reflects very well for his character. The ladies will enjoy him for being the obvious choice for Donna, and they will be begging for these two to get together. Gaby Hoffman is a strong female supportive best friend. She is the type of woman who has been burned too many times by men. She is a strong and independent woman who serves as the voice of reason for Donna and the crumbling of her world around her. Other cameos include Richard Kind, Polly Draper, and a very awkward appearance by David Cross. The camera work is done excellent with that independent New York feel with a cold setting that sets the mood for the tough souls living in such a city. A pretty standard musical score that includes songs by LEGS, Rare Child, and Paul Simon. Considering the film was only 84 minutes, they really made the most use out of the songs used in the score. The film’s running time does bother me a little bit because in addition to the comedy club scenes, there are a couple of scenes that feel wasted. Had director Gillian Robespierre utilized the cracks in Donna’s armor a little more, and trimmed the dull pacing of the pointless scenes in between, this film would easily have cracked my top twenty films of the year. As it stands, Obvious Child is a very tough look at how one decision can impact not only you, but the supporting cast of characters in your life. It’s about standing up and being independent in a life that has been one punchline after another up to this point. I am really looking forward to seeing Slate in more films. There is no doubt that this is her coming out party after being notoriously dumped by Saturday Night Live in 2012. She is a force to be reckoned with when she gets a script that brings out the best. I would like to see another collaboration between her and Robespierre. Obvious Child will be on DVD in early October, and for those of you who like a dark comedy with just a slice of romantic emotion, i would say to give it a chance. It’s a very easy sit from a short run time, and is worth it alone from the firecracker that Slate will one day be from the spring this film gave her. Abortion is a scary topic when presented on film, but Robespierre has shown that the women who go through it have a story to tell. It’s a tale about feminism in the 21st century that promotes laughter as the best medicine