Let's Ruin It with Babies (2014) Reviews

• A rare rom com about already-marrieds and the choice of parenthood

  andie-grace2013-12-03

  "Let's Ruin It With Babies" is the perfect title for this cheeky and sleek modern comedy from Kestrin Pantera, about a young woman with a perfect-looking hipster life -- a sweet husband, a cool house, great friends, and a kick ass career with a pop culture creative project (an all- comers-welcomed mobile karaoke RV) that's taking off on a great trajectory. It seems like she's got it all. But while her husband is ready to drag her across the threshold into parenthood, she's not sure she's ready to go quietly; what follows is a road-movie/romantic comedy narrative that tests the connection between a likable young married couple as they work through their major life decision across the miles through a thick haze of karaoke and her road-trip party bus responsibilities. The rich is cinematography a perfect complement to the ever-so-hip but entirely earnest lifestyle of its characters and their emotional immersion in their karaoke project. The fact that the RVIP Lounge is a real-life mobile karaoke RV that actually exists in the world, and that the fictional couple are its real-life proprietors who filmed the movie while on the road with said project, adds generously to its charm and their chemistry -- which makes the viewer all the more eager to see what will come of the couple's conundrum. It's nice to see a romantic comedy that begins with a married couple already very much in love, and tackles a real and relevant issue for our culture, as more women face the parenthood vs. career decision and wait longer and longer to have children, or choose not to do it at all. If there is any criticism, it's that one might wish for more of the on board karaoke experience that the characters swear "changes peoples' lives!" but this is a minor squabble; for an indie it probably would have been cost prohibitive to actually license more pop music for such scenes, and in the end, the important thread is the lead character's connection to the view of the rest of her life. The end result is a very funny and emotionally aware film about the sometimes-conflicting realities of marriage and family.

• Title is a TRAP

  nive2-594-8001482014-01-03

  I thought this movie would be different from the mainstream crap that is out there trying to convince people that having babies is bliss when it's a lot of hard work that costs a lot of money and not an obligation to society. But this is just another mainstream load of crap. Might as well have the Corporate, GOP, Catholic, Mormon baby-making stamp of approval on it. Don't waste your time. She doesn't want babies, she's happy with her life. She has an awesome life. But her stupid boyfriend wants a baby. Yeah we've all heard this story before, but in real life. "I don't really want any but he does so I'll have one just for him." Give me a break. Please. Then all of the sudden she's sitting on top of the world and she's hit the glass ceiling for happiness. Tah dah! Babies make you happy! It's crap. Pure drivel. Crap. (there's your ten lines IMDb)

• Lackadaisical plot and too 'indie' for its own good - but nice debut for Kestrin Pantera

  ArchonCinemaReviews2015-01-29

  I was seriously misinformed when it came to my expectations of Let's Ruin it with Babies – but that's okay, the film was pretty good anyway. Inspired by and based loosely on Kestrin Pantera's real life, Let's Ruin it with Babies is about a carefree bohemian woman named Channing as she comes of age and accepts adulthood. Let's Ruin It With Babies thinks its plot summary is: "Channing has it all: a beautiful home, a rock star lifestyle, and a loving husband intent on ruining it all by knocking her up." But it would be wrong. Yes, Channing and Chaz, her husband, are pretty cool cats. They own a swanky abode and have quirky cool dinner parties and talk about real hipster issues. They even own their own business, a super hip RVip Transportainment vehicle that combines drinking, karaoke singing, and driving – which they oh so relevantly funded through a crowd-sourcing site. But, back to the parties – at one especially tricked out party Chaz announces to their group of friends that they are no longer actively attempting not to get pregnant. Channing doesn't seem too sold on the idea – but it's what you're supposed to do, right? While on their cross-country road trip de festival, Channing mulls over her life and her decision to, you guessed it: ruin it with babies. Admittedly, my first impressions of and reason for watching this film was pretty far off base. I thought this was a foreign film and expected the quirky perspective and sly humor that goes along with it. Note, the minds behind this film are about as far from 'quirky foreign' as they can get – being not just Californians but from the ancillary town of angels, aka Los Angeles. It's okay though, just means the film was a bit dryer and a lot more hipsterly. As a film, Let's Ruin it with Babies is entertaining but slow with most of the narrative being filler and the brunt of the story being possibly told in thirty minutes or less if Pantera was more succinct. The filler scenes are engaging and slightly add to the plot; but more often than not have no implication or integration with the bigger picture and conclusion of the film. It seems as though there was a general feel for the direction of the story but that most of the dialogue was improvised – as it was slow and unaffected and didn't feel deliberate.Further the camera work is shaky, with lots of hand-held work and not much steadicam shots, indicative of an independent film. If you are okay with all of those things and that specific visual style ideal then Let's Ruin it with Babies will be more of a hit for you. Even though the film is called Let's Ruin it with Babies, there is still an open market for making a fun comedic movie about the socially constructed pressure put on burgeoning adults to take the next step and pursue procreation. Instead what you get is a story about a woman coming to terms with taking the next step as an adult, and yes, ruining it with babies. Please check out our WEBSITE for more reviews of ALL the recent releases.

• Great indie film. Worth a watch!

  CharlesMichaelWilliams2016-01-21

  I recently saw this film pop up on Amazon Prime and decided to give it a shot. While it isn't perfect, it is still a really nice indie film, and I really enjoyed it. The acting was quite solid and the storyline kept me interested throughout. It terms of story and characters, I found both to be quite charming, and the film had the right amount of humor. Like I said, the acting was solid. I particularly liked the girl who played Channing, however, the entire cast did well as an ensemble. I look forward to seeing more from this director. Give it a shot especially if you have a Prime account.

• Loved this film

  davidusner2016-01-19

  So, where to start. This film was just a delightful surprise. I had no idea what to expect and was so happy I selected this film to watch. The acting was wonderful. Every one of the actors turned in a fabulous performance from top to bottom. As someone who teaches acting, I was struck by the truth of all of the characters. And I loved the premise. It wasn't some simple road story. It was a carefully crafted story with some simple twists and turns. The dialogue was clean and concise, always driving toward the conclusion. I like that. The little montages of editing that happened often in the film made me feel the warmth of the friendships. The editing was a high point for me. Lastly, the RV was so much fun. As a Bay Area resident I wish I had seen this vehicle. I wonder if it had been to Burning Man. I highly recommend this film. Congrats to the filmmaker.