Oh to be twenty-something. I'm approaching those turbulent days now. It's a tough topic really, especially if it's intended to be approached authentically. It can be utter self-indulgent trite. Obvious Child is close enough to getting it right. It suffers from a lot of familiarity in its beats, but it's well-handled enough to make it work without being overly quirky to compensate. It's mostly thanks to Jenny Slate's great performance. I only recognise her from her silly one- note part on Parks and Recreation, but here she shows off her potential. She handles the humour and drama with ease, confident with the vulnerability of her character. It has a thoroughly endearing dark wry sense of humour to go with it. However, sometimes it toes a fine line with its creative flourishes and contrivances, such as when Slate is waiting for her pregnancy test and David Cross' whole character, but it's not enough to derail the whole film. Obvious Child is small but entertaining and emotionally engaging film.
7/10
7/10