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| Jenny Slate (A24) |
Aside from its frank discussion of abortion, Gillian
Robespierre’s Obvious Child is not an
especially ambitious film. Rather, here is an example of a character-driven
indie that just gets everything right: the comedy, the emotion, the
performances, the script, the look and the honesty. Starring Jenny Slate in a
breakout performance as a stilted young adult struggling to figure herself out in New York City,
Robespierre takes on age-old themes – our reluctance to grow up, how artists use their work to express their deepest insecurities and fears,
and how that initial, terrible romantic encounter can blossom into something
real – but resists attempts to upend them. From brilliant dance numbers and
comedy routines to raucous banter between Slate and an excellent supporting
cast, Obvious Child is a sterling
example of taking on something simple to create something wonderful. A-