Lately, I have been disappointed by the overgenerous ratings on IMDb and so, it is with skepticism that I watched "Baby Blues". I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the experience despite some flaws in this modest production.
I should also point out that I hate spoilers (and try to keep my reviews free of them) and try to avoid any blurbs before watching a movie. I expected a somewhat mild, made-for-TV drama/thriller and boy, was I wrong! Without spoiling anything, be aware that this movie can be deemed *extremely* disturbing to many viewers. The basic plot follows a modest rural family in the south, where young children have to cope with an absent father and an unstable mother being prone to some form of the "baby blues".
The direction is quite raw but achieves the tension required to make it work. One must deplore the opening, which states the sensationalist "based on actual events" but is really just a cheap, marketing stunt. The film, is in fact, not based on actual events at all and there is even a disclaimer in the end titles clearing that up. However, the basic plot is more than enough to make a worthy thriller (and it bears to be repeated, some scenes are very disturbing and might qualify this as horror for many). The co-directors both developed the characters just enough for us to care, although it seems in the end, some of the actual development of the father figure played by Joel Bryant doesn't pay off.
Without a doubt, I think the element of this production that will be most talked about (besides the disturbing events suffered by the children) will be the lead actress Colleen Porch, who plays the mother. I can't say I have ever noticed her (she did appear in a CSI episode I must have watched, but I have no memory of it whatsoever) but there is no way you can miss her interesting and very promising performance here. The directors must have realized this too, as it seems they highlight her performances at times. Porch's characterization as the mother is uneven and she does overact at times, yet more often than not, she pulls it off brilliantly. The result is at times very impressive and will remind some of Jack Nicholson's Torrance in "The Shining". Colleen's role requires nuances that she doesn't master yet but she definitely has screen presence and I would love to see her in other roles. Beautiful, intense eyes too! As for the kids, they do well. Ridge Canipe, the eldest, takes some time to get used to yet in the end, wins us over and as he grows comfortable in his role, so does the empathy we feel for his character.
Is this a great movie? No. The direction is at times on the goofy side. Photography and lighting are on par with small productions. There are exceptions, like some great shots of the environment, or some solid angles during tensed scenes, only for the next one to be a head scratcher. Like the acting, it's very inconsistent, very hit-and-miss. But again, the talent is there and that makes it a good, solid entry.
It's difficult to label the movie. There's enough genuine drama for this to be a drama. There are some thrills. And there are horrific scenes. The direction and script seems to borrow from several flicks, from classic to cult classic. There's definitely more style than substance, yet an honest attempt at substance is there.
Somewhere between The Shining, High Tension, Single White Female and Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door, this movie is a mish-mash of genres and an independent production that shows its flaws, yet succeeds in engaging you and giving a decent thrill ride.
And ironically enough, although the co-directors are nowhere near as accomplished or as ambitious as Michael Haneke, Baby Blues also achieves what "Funny Games" set out to do far more effectively, and without even trying. I give it a good 6 and hope to see more of Lars E. Jacobson, Amardeep Kaleka, Ridge Canipe, Joel Bryant and especially, the very intriguing Colleen Porch.
I should also point out that I hate spoilers (and try to keep my reviews free of them) and try to avoid any blurbs before watching a movie. I expected a somewhat mild, made-for-TV drama/thriller and boy, was I wrong! Without spoiling anything, be aware that this movie can be deemed *extremely* disturbing to many viewers. The basic plot follows a modest rural family in the south, where young children have to cope with an absent father and an unstable mother being prone to some form of the "baby blues".
The direction is quite raw but achieves the tension required to make it work. One must deplore the opening, which states the sensationalist "based on actual events" but is really just a cheap, marketing stunt. The film, is in fact, not based on actual events at all and there is even a disclaimer in the end titles clearing that up. However, the basic plot is more than enough to make a worthy thriller (and it bears to be repeated, some scenes are very disturbing and might qualify this as horror for many). The co-directors both developed the characters just enough for us to care, although it seems in the end, some of the actual development of the father figure played by Joel Bryant doesn't pay off.
Without a doubt, I think the element of this production that will be most talked about (besides the disturbing events suffered by the children) will be the lead actress Colleen Porch, who plays the mother. I can't say I have ever noticed her (she did appear in a CSI episode I must have watched, but I have no memory of it whatsoever) but there is no way you can miss her interesting and very promising performance here. The directors must have realized this too, as it seems they highlight her performances at times. Porch's characterization as the mother is uneven and she does overact at times, yet more often than not, she pulls it off brilliantly. The result is at times very impressive and will remind some of Jack Nicholson's Torrance in "The Shining". Colleen's role requires nuances that she doesn't master yet but she definitely has screen presence and I would love to see her in other roles. Beautiful, intense eyes too! As for the kids, they do well. Ridge Canipe, the eldest, takes some time to get used to yet in the end, wins us over and as he grows comfortable in his role, so does the empathy we feel for his character.
Is this a great movie? No. The direction is at times on the goofy side. Photography and lighting are on par with small productions. There are exceptions, like some great shots of the environment, or some solid angles during tensed scenes, only for the next one to be a head scratcher. Like the acting, it's very inconsistent, very hit-and-miss. But again, the talent is there and that makes it a good, solid entry.
It's difficult to label the movie. There's enough genuine drama for this to be a drama. There are some thrills. And there are horrific scenes. The direction and script seems to borrow from several flicks, from classic to cult classic. There's definitely more style than substance, yet an honest attempt at substance is there.
Somewhere between The Shining, High Tension, Single White Female and Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door, this movie is a mish-mash of genres and an independent production that shows its flaws, yet succeeds in engaging you and giving a decent thrill ride.
And ironically enough, although the co-directors are nowhere near as accomplished or as ambitious as Michael Haneke, Baby Blues also achieves what "Funny Games" set out to do far more effectively, and without even trying. I give it a good 6 and hope to see more of Lars E. Jacobson, Amardeep Kaleka, Ridge Canipe, Joel Bryant and especially, the very intriguing Colleen Porch.