A lot of New Zealand comedies have a very distinct feel, and BABY DONE from writer-director team Curtis Vowell and Sophie Henderson echoes the voice of its producer Taika Waititi. This is deadpan-funny, heartfelt and unafraid to make its protagonist a challenging personality to spend the allotted time with. The film grows beyond quirkyness for the sake of it with a mature look at a difficult time in any woman’s life, all through the prism of an immature character’s view of the world. The performances, particularly from leads Rose Matafeo and Matthew Lewis as an expecting couple (the former unready to surrender her youth, freedom and passion for climbing, the latter excited at the prospect of fatherhood and exasperated by his partner’s actions) are pitched about right for this bittersweet and grounded story. Not every moment lands or hits the right tone, but overall this will leave you uplifted, fulfilled, even enlightened. SSP