‘Doula’ Review: Chris Pine-Produced Pregnancy Comedy Is a Labor of Love, Just Not a Very Funny One
variety.comMichael Nordine authorYou’d be forgiven for not being inclined to laugh at anything pregnancy-related at the moment. Kudos to “Doula” for trying, though, as director Cheryl Nichols’ lighthearted pregnancy comedy arrives at a time when the “laughter is the best medicine” theory is being stress-tested like never before for women across the country.
To call its brand of comedy “niche” might be an understatement — for one thing, its central plot development hinges on knowing the difference between a midwife and a doula — but the film’s insights ultimately outnumber its laughs.That wouldn’t appear to be the case early on, as the funniest scene is also the first.
Eyes closed during a visualization exercise, Deb (Troian Bellisario) reluctantly informs her midwife Penka (Cheryl Baker) that it isn’t working.
She can’t see a baby, just an orangish blob. There’s just one problem: Penka has died sometime in the last few minutes. This leads not only to a woo-woo funeral with flower crowns that almost seems destined to veer into “Midsommar” territory, but also to a conundrum: Deb and her boyfriend Silvio (Arron Shiver, who also wrote the script) need a new midwife.
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