MOVIE REVIEWS

Review by Filipe Manuel Neto

**One of the most iconic romantic comedies of the decade.** What if a baby, still inside the mother's womb, could tell us what he thinks? The premise of this film is that, and it gives rise to one of the most outstanding romantic comedies of the 80's (and this is no small thing, considering the amount of romantic comedies that appeared in the 80's and 90's) and gave rise, thanks to a considerable critical and commercial success, to another two sequels, renewing John Travolta's career and making Kirstie Alley a star. The film is a good comedy, intelligently made, full of well-placed humor and that makes us smile, when it doesn't really make us laugh. The plot was well-thought-out, has a sense of humor, is witty and has a good dose of sympathetic sentimentality, without exaggeration: a young woman from a good family, single, became pregnant by a married man with whom she had an affair that only she is incapable of seeing who has no future; when the inevitable happens, and she ends that relationship, she finds herself alone and pregnant, ending up emotionally supported by a taxi driver she casually met. Of course, the baby will be the first to do what he can to bring them together as a couple, and we will listen to his ideas and opinions. The film is largely based on the figure of the baby, whose voice is that of Bruce Willis, an actor with great vocal versatility and who proved to be totally up to the challenge. His vocal expressiveness was essential for the jokes that the baby plays. In addition, the text given to the actor is humorous, very well written and seems to really correspond to what the baby could be thinking at that moment. John Travolta also does an excellent job here, with an excellent performance, one of the best in the actor's career. He manages to embody the figure of a loving, sincere and sympathetic man, who really cares about the other characters, thus being more than a mere heartthrob. Much less pleasant, but still worthy of our appreciation, Kirstie Alley does an impeccable and funny job. The actress, who was not particularly well-known, will be catapulted to stardom with this film. The film also has the collaboration of veteran actors such as Olympia Dukakis, George Segal and Abe Vigoda in supporting roles. Technically, the film isn't particularly brilliant, but it's in line with what was common in light films of the decade: low-contrast cinematography with unclear or vibrant colors, but very natural, without great artifice; a regular edition, without any notable mishaps, regular sets and costumes, good filming in several locations, with a good part of the film being shot outside. The soundtrack is the most notable element, thanks to a good selection of rock songs that include themes by the Bee Gees and the Beach Boys.