Being a parent is almost never easy. But probably one of the scariest times is when you're expecting for the first time. All those nagging fears, insecurities, excitement, apprehensions and outside interference can really do a number on the mind when it is at its most vulnerable. “Lazy Hazy Crazy” director Luk Yee-sum delves into exactly these issues with her breezy sophomore effort “Baby: The Secret Diary of a Mom To Be”.
“Baby: The Secret Diary of Mom To Be” is screening at Fantasia Festival
Seeing her best friends suffering and based on her own rocky relationship with her mother, career woman Carmen has decided she never wants to have a baby and live a happy life with her professional basketball player husband Oscar. Her mother-in-law Margaret, however, isn't making things any easier with her well-intentioned meddling ways. So, when one day, she finds out that she is pregnant, she isn't all too pleased with the news as most would be. If she very reluctantly agrees to go ahead with the pregnancy, Oscar on the other hand is an extremely enthusiastic and understanding partner, throwing himself into the process. But the two of them soon find out that the road to parenthood is just as rocky as the destination is joyful, with several struggles and adjustments thrown their way, including those that test their relationship.
“Baby: The Secret Diary of a Mom To Be” might have a mouthful title, but the tone that Luk Yee-sum's script and direction carries is a very light-hearted one. The script chronicles the many concerns that expectant mothers have in the form of a relationship comedy. Populated with several quirky supporting characters, like a maternity coach Margaret hires who seemingly knows more about pregnancy than any woman in Hong Kong, a friend who can't stop lactating, a club of fathers/fathers-to-be who gather to just do “guy things”, there's a strong humorous vein that runs through the narrative, which doesn't alway hit its mark but is almost never too cringe-worthy.
Luk's understanding and representation of the turmoils that a pregnancy can bring to both work and personal life is commendable. She also manages to successfully avoid the cliched caricature-like portrayals that pregnant women sometimes have on film, instead grounding Carmen's experiences in reality. Not just Carmen's, but the experiences of Oscar are equally realistic in their depiction. In that sense, this feels not just like the secret diary of a mom-to-be, but also that of an expectant father. Where Carmen's interactions with her friends succeed in highlighting the physical, emotional and social changes the women go through, Oscar's interactions with the Baba Club may be played to humorous effect for the most time, but act as a record of what the male partners go through during and after this phase.
It also helps that the story is centred around the extremely good-looking and competent pairing of Dada Chan (who also featured in the Luk Yee-sum written “Vulgaria”) and Kevin Chu. The two actors are adorable together, with scenes like the one where she pretends her water has broken bringing a smile to the audience, thanks to his awkwardness and her mischievous laughter. Both prove equally adept in the tender, dramatic moments as they are in the romantic ones, as evident in the scenes where they have their quarrels, particularly the one at the basketball court. Louis Cheung's has an awkward character as Tam, the maternity coach hired by Candice Yu's Margaret, but he plays it with a straight face and has fun with it.
The cinematography by Jam Yau has a fresh and bright look to it, almost like the glow on an expectant mother's face. Coupled with the muted colours of the costumes and sets, it proves to be a pleasing viewing experience. Subyub Lee returns to provide the original score after working on the director's previous writing credits “Vulgaria” and “Love in the Buff” and, together with CM groovy, provides a soothing and equally fresh sound to the project.
“Baby: The Secret Diary of a Mom To Be” has a very specific target audience and may not appeal to those outside of it, but there's no denying that it is a charming and honest feature filled with a good-looking cast and one that certainly has its merits.
