Spoiler alert: This flippant New York comedy ends with a trip to the local abortion clinic that’s presented with no more gravity or introspection than a dentist’s appointment, and what begins as a charming romantic comedy turns into a political statement almost in spite of itself. Written and directed by Gillian Robespierre, the movie is a great showcase for the clever TV comedian Jenny Slate, playing a young stand-up comic unlucky in love; dumped by her boyfriend, she hooks up with a cute business student but before long discovers that she’s pregnant. Like most stand-ups nowadays, the heroine can’t seem to come up with any material that doesn’t involve bodily functions; she never goes near the subject of motherhood, which proves that the filmmakers are scared to death of their own story.
Obvious Child
R • 1 hour 23 min • 2014
