Originally a short film she worked on with Karen Maine and Elisabeth Holm, Gillian Robespierre’s talent and continued passion for the film shines through the feature length version of Obvious Child. Perhaps as a result of creating the short, the story of film’s final form is complex yet solid.

Set in Brooklyn, the film follows Donna Stern (Jenny Slate), a comedian in her late twenties going through several crises at once: getting dumped, getting fired, and getting pregnant. Though Donna seems to be going through a dark time, the comedy isn’t necessarily always dark—yet the story isn’t unrealistic, either.

From start to finish, Obvious Child induced non-stop laughter from the audience as a result of the perfect combination of a brilliantly organic performance from comedian and actor Jenny Slate, with a solid screenplay from writer and director Gillian Robespierre. In the Q&A following the screening, Robespierre described the first time she and the film’s co-writers saw Slate perform her stand-up routine. “We either wanted to be her best friend or put her in our film.”

Robespierre also mentioned how she was “fed up” with most of today’s romantic comedy films, especially ones that involve girls getting accidentally pregnant. Slate agreed with Robespierre that “[the film] has everyday comedy” and realistic dialogue.

When Donna meets Max (Jake Lacy), it’s obvious that he’ll be the love interest. The two do have chemistry; even in spite of what Max accidentally does to Donna in the alley when they first meet. But though their relationship is charming and not unlike that between the main characters of Knocked Up, it is definitely not the main focus, or most interesting aspect, of the story.

But vastly unlike romantic comedies—and in particular, accidental pregnancy—centered-films, Obvious Child includes abortion. Not all accidental pregnancies end with the woman having the baby, Robespierre pointed out. Abortion is a touchy subject, but somehow Robespierre included it without giving off a political tone. In fact, the film itself didn’t really give the impression that the story was just about abortion or that it was a “comedy about abortion,” as the Q&A moderator suggested.

Like Slate implied, the comedy of Obvious Child is present throughout in a natural flow, lacking any sitcom-y vibes. With that comes with female-centered comedy bits—both in Donna’s stand-up routine and in her life in general—that haven’t really been spoken about in other comedies with strong-leading ladies. The brilliant comedy and multi-dimensional character all come together through a role literally made for Slate, which she fits perfectly with her wittiness and despite her lack of acting experience.

Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect were just the beginning. Not only does Obvious Child destroy the weirdly common notion that “women aren’t funny” —it redefines what romcom should be.

By Zoe Halsne

The post Obvious Child at Rooftop Films appeared first on NY Arts Magazine.

The star-studded event was full of amusing anecdotes, nostalgic looks to the past, and anticipatory mentions of future projects.

Reiner’s friends and colleagues—including but not limited to James Caan, Michael Douglass, and Meg Ryan—each introduced one of Reiner’s films or projects. Ryan and her co-star, Billy Crystal, introduced When Harry Met Sally (1989).

“For those of you who have waited 25 years for a sequel, this is it!” Crystal said, inducing laughs from the audience. Crystal and the other presenters recounted stories and unknown aspects of their personal and working relationships with Reiner.

For instance—on the set of When Harry Met Sally, as Ryan and Crystal described, Reiner actually performed the famous orgasm scene at Katz Deli so Ryan knew exactly what he was looking for. The offscreen demonstration was also in front of Reiner’s mother, who played the woman that says, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

Along with these hilarious yet perhaps slightly disturbing vignettes, the gala also provided glimpses into Reiner’s most recent endeavors. A clip of his upcoming film And So It Goes was played as was a clip from the upcoming Proposition 8 documentary, The Case Against 8—in addition to filmmaking, Reiner is an outspoken activist for gay rights.

The actual award was presented by 1998 Chaplin Award recipient and fellow legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese. With a few of his own words regarding his admiration of Reiner, the man of the hour finally walked onto the stage.

Reiner expressed mutual respect of Scorsese and mentioned how grateful he was to be included in his latest film, The Wolf of Wall Street, in which he played the father of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character. Reiner joked: “Which is more unbelievable—that Leonardo DiCaprio is a Jew, or that I’m his father?”

Reiner continued to express his gratitude to both his colleagues and to his family—he stressed that although he loves filmmaking, nothing is more important than his wife and kids.

The night’s presenters joined Reiner onstage after his heartfelt acceptance, and the audience rewarded him again with a much-deserved standing ovation.

By Zoe Halsne

The post Honoring Rob Reiner with the 41st Chaplin Award appeared first on NY Arts Magazine.

We got off and it was quiet. But, around the corner was a smiling employee, inviting us into a screening room. Next to the doorway was a table with boxes of popcorn and bottles of water. Many guests—myself included—took two of each.

The seating consisted of large and comfy leather couches (which was far better than the stiff and non tiered seating I was used to, thanks to AMC Loews). I expected an ambiance of professional gravitas, but the other guests were chatting loudly and happily while we waited for the film, Belle, to start.

This paradox of sophisticated informality remained throughout the experience, which certainly enhanced both the film and post-screening question-and-answer segment. The movie-watching experience is always better when the audience doesn’t withhold laughter or involuntary sounds of outrage at a character’s nasty behavior. Likewise, the questions and comments addressed to director Amma Asante and lead actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw were a balance of personal reactions and thought-provoking inquiries.

The bildungsroman-esque film Belle (opened May 2) follows Dido Elizabeth Belle (Mbatha-Raw) in a rigid society as she attempts to find her place as a girl who is the daughter of both a black slave and an upper class white man. In the words of director Amma Asante, Dido must answer the question, “Who defines you? You or society?”

Unfortunately, Belle does not necessarily stand as strongly without the extensive and articulate answers Asante provided after our particular screening. The film was sometimes diluted at the expense of its PG rating. And although it focuses on the struggles of a half-black woman, it does not provide insights into the average black woman’s life in England at the time.

Many of the noteworthy aspects of the project were not revealed until the Q&A. Aside from her pleasantly strong female directorial presence, Asante’s research of the real Dido and her world was apparent. Character growth is heavily dependent on the development and outcome of the Zong case. At the time, Dido’s aforementioned great-uncle was the Lord Chief Justice of England. The case would be severely influential on future laws surrounding slavery and civil rights, which is clearly demonstrated and explained in the film.

Historical influence extends to the story of Dido in general—Asante was inspired by a postcard she received that portrayed a painting of the real Dido and her cousin Elizabeth. This painting, appropriately, is strongly present—just like the film itself, the painting depicts a black woman as dominant and attractive rather than the more common portrayal through submissive body language or the display of grotesque white idolization in similar artworks of 18th century England.

On the other hand, there are many aspects of the film itself that are refreshing. Although Belle may not be as raw as other films that involve race and slavery, this sometimes benefited the story and its themes. There were few stereotypical scenes that are sometimes common but perhaps not necessarily relevant to the plot of many 18th century period pieces (e.g.: sexual assault).

The perspective of a biracial person, let alone that of a woman, of this time is part of what makes this film so refreshing. Additionally, a main focus of the film is love—but as Asante puts it, Belle is a “dual love story.” There is the predicted handsome and open-minded gentleman that catches Dido’s eye (Matthew Goode), but there’s also a compelling friendship between Dido and her cousin, Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon). There’s even an interesting dynamic and development of the relationship between Dido and her adopted father figure, Dido’s great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson).

In the small screening room at Bryant Park Hotel, the audience’s enthusiastic cheers at Dido’s witty comebacks and disgusted gasps Lady Ashford’s (Miranda Richardson) hateful comments attests to the film’s contemporary qualities. In fact, Asante admits one of Lady Ashford’s more racist lines was inspired by her ex-mother-in-law (look for the scene in which Lady Ashford first meets Dido).

Belle is the first period piece to have a black female lead—even in modern films a majority of leading roles are white men. Asante tells a story worth telling and did the homework to make it as true—both historically and universally—as possible.

Belle is no masterpiece, but it is, nevertheless, a film we need.

By Zoe Halsne

The post A Belle We Need appeared first on NY Arts Magazine.