Craccum was thrilled to be invited along last Tuesday night to the world premiere of Baby Done , the new film starring Kiwi comedic legend, Rose Matafeo and ex-Neville Longbottom Matthew Lewis (of Harry Potter fame). The film is shot and produced in New Zealand and stars a range of pretty familiar Kiwi actors – with appearances from Kura Forrester, Nic Sampson, and Emily Barclay amongst many others. The film follows Zoe and Tim, an arborist couple whose relationship is turned upside down following the news that Zoe has now fallen pregnant. Determined to not let motherhood ruin her life goals, Zoe goes about to tick all her aspirations off her list before giving birth – resulting in some rather awkward situations and clashing with Tim’s insistence on preparing to be a father.
The film is a sound effort and really puts Matafeo in the front seat – her portrayal of Zoe is solid, though at times her commitment to the role means that Zoe’s character comes across rather serious, where there is room for this film to be comedic. Lewis meanwhile as Tim, is a standout, whose empathy and attempts to emulate good fathering behaviour endear him to the audience. Ultimately, the ending is truly lovely and really rather sweet – displaying the heart of the film and finally unlocking some of the otherwise missing chemistry between the two leads. It’s just a shame that it took close to 90 minutes for the audience to be let in on this.
A special shoutout to ex-Craccum Lifestyle Editor, Sherry Zhang, for her phenomenal performance as an Extra at a Baby Shower. Standout work.