As "Shiva Baby" (2020 release; 78 min.) opens, college student Danielle is with her sugar daddy, a guy named Max. Danielle rushes off to meet up with her parents at a shiva. There she runs into her longtime friend (but now somewhat estranged) Maya, who has just been accepted into law school. The contrast between these two couldn't be greater. Then comes the shocker: who but Max himself, along with his wife and their 18 mth. Old baby, show up at the shiva...
Couple of comments: this is the debut feature-length film from writer-producer-director Emma Seligman, adopting her 2017 short of the same name into a full-length. I haven't seen the short, but from having seen the feature-length, I have nothing but praise for Segilman. This film is full of astute observations, and provides a nuanced portrait and character study of Danielle, insecure and lacking in confidence as she tris to find her way in life. The social pressure from her parents and the many family friends at the shiva is unintentional but very real. And what about the encounter with Max? I'm not going to tell you of course... Please note that this almost feels like a theater play, as the entire film plays out in one particular house in Brooklyn. Kudos to Rachel Sennott, who plays the lead character Danielle just perfectly. Bottom line: this is one of those 'little' movies that packs a wallop far greater that could be expected. Filmed on an almost non-existing budget, this is markedly better than what Hollywood delivers on a regular basis and with budgets that test the belief.
"Shiva Baby" was supposed to premiere at last year's SXSW festival, but then a little thing called COVID-19 had other plans. It finally screened at last Fall's Toronto International Film Festival, to immediate critical acclaim. After a release in select theaters this Spring, "Shiva baby" started playing on HBO recently, which is where I caught it. If you have any interest in a well-developed indie film showcasing a great character study, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it on HBO On Demand or other streaming services, or on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this is the debut feature-length film from writer-producer-director Emma Seligman, adopting her 2017 short of the same name into a full-length. I haven't seen the short, but from having seen the feature-length, I have nothing but praise for Segilman. This film is full of astute observations, and provides a nuanced portrait and character study of Danielle, insecure and lacking in confidence as she tris to find her way in life. The social pressure from her parents and the many family friends at the shiva is unintentional but very real. And what about the encounter with Max? I'm not going to tell you of course... Please note that this almost feels like a theater play, as the entire film plays out in one particular house in Brooklyn. Kudos to Rachel Sennott, who plays the lead character Danielle just perfectly. Bottom line: this is one of those 'little' movies that packs a wallop far greater that could be expected. Filmed on an almost non-existing budget, this is markedly better than what Hollywood delivers on a regular basis and with budgets that test the belief.
"Shiva Baby" was supposed to premiere at last year's SXSW festival, but then a little thing called COVID-19 had other plans. It finally screened at last Fall's Toronto International Film Festival, to immediate critical acclaim. After a release in select theaters this Spring, "Shiva baby" started playing on HBO recently, which is where I caught it. If you have any interest in a well-developed indie film showcasing a great character study, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it on HBO On Demand or other streaming services, or on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.