FFWD REW

Babies more than just cute

Doc looks at child-rearing around the world

Portraying the lives of four infants as they eat dirt and annoy housecats in different corners of the globe this mommy-pleasing effort by French documentarian Thomas Balmès is a fascinating if inevitably reductive study of the contrasts between child-rearing philosophies the world over.

For his subjects the director has trained his camera on newborns in the U.S. Japan Namibia and Mongolia all of whom are receiving care that is attentive and loving by the standards of their respective cultures. Ironically it’s the coddled First-World kids who may draw the most sympathy from viewers. While the tykes in Namibia and Mongolia run the greater risk of choking on twigs or incurring the wrath of animals that they’ve poked they seem happier to have their freedom and explore the world around them. And unlike their American counterpart in San Francisco they will most likely never be compelled to read a picture book named No Hitting .

Of course things will be very different for each baby down the road but when it comes to the question of what a child requires in the earliest stages of his or her development it’s hard not to suspect that something’s gone awry among the wealthier folk. And while Balmès has stated that he’s not out to criticize any of the parenting techniques the juxtapositions created by his somewhat over-hectic editing sometimes indicate otherwise. But what’s ultimately most compelling about Babies — other than the undeniably cute clips of pint-sized pratfalls — is the opportunity to witness the distinct personalities of the subjects emerge before our eyes. It’s a magical thing to be able to see these wailing lumps of sour-smelling flesh turn into sentient beings by the time of their first birthday parties. One of them is even a star in the making — expect li’l Ponijao from Namibia to provide some serious competition to Abigail Breslin someday as long as she doesn’t get eaten by the family dog.

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