charlesjcha
This "film" should've been called "First comes Love (for THE Me!)" as it is wrought with nothing but whining, self-indulgent, autobiographical footage, which at no time amounts to anything either compelling, interesting, or stimulating. At one point it seems like she wanted for this to be a token of what some bourgeois, privileged, middle-aged white women "have to" go through in our postmodern, angst-ridden age, but instead she just doubles down on meaningless & uninspired autobiographical trivialities. Another sign of how indulgent & narcissistic she is, the runtime of nearly 2 hours is decidedly excruciating to hear her whine about her First World problems, and how disappointing her pampered, kept life is. As an experiment in masochism, I watched it to the end, to see how consistently she remains committed to failing in this tortuous project, and she succeeds wonderfully in creating an endlessly long stream of pointless self-absorbed narratives about "this is my life." It doesn't even rise to the dreck of YouTube nonsense, as those peoples' channels have actual fans interested in the banalities of their personal lives. Nina Davenport doesn't even amount to that. Why she and HBO thought this could be of any interest to anyone is a mystery I wanted to unravel by disciplining myself to watch it all the way through. Even when she interacts with Jasper at the end, it's STILL all about her and how much of an inconvenience her new living hobby is for her listless lifestyle. Boo hoo. There are zero sympathetic characters of interest, and zero footage worth watching. At no time does this even get accidentally interesting. Hearing her tone of voice as she whines to people she points her camera at (like it's a shotgun), really brings alive how narcissistic the content is. What was the pitch like, "I'm going to whine to people about my insecurities and First World problems and whine to Daddy benefactor at how emotionally detached he was." This is a truly sad relic of the collapse of Western Civilization. That projects like this get green lit, when we've collapsed the ecosystem of the floating rock we all share is beyond crass, it's mind numbing.
Love-Movies Don't-You
I watched this documentary after I realized that my sister had watched it. I created an account with IMDb today just so that I can add my review. I am a female who turned 30 this year and cannot say that I have felt I wanted to have a kid and I still do not. I have a common law partner of 3 years who understands I and my choices to not have a kid or marry. Having sad that, I have utmost respect for mothers as I can't imagine the level of vulnerability and strength that they feel for other humans. My personal thought on this film is that I wish there were more films as this one that focus its angle on a female - her raw feelings, thoughts, perspectives, values, strengths, struggles, fears, selfishness, ego, and most importantly her needs. Let's face it; we are not used to watching a film about a female's experience shaped by her own choices and pure needs. And this is why I value this documentary film and it is a game changer for some. Thank you for making this film!
Salsa Boy
There is almost nothing redeemable about this documentary. It's about a 41-yr old woman who wants a baby out-of-wedlock, her struggles, her attitudes, her family, her path. I don't mean to demean the personal experience of Nina Davenport, but why the @*&! does she think that anyone would be interested in her? In a word, it adds nothing to the viewer's understanding of the issues. What issues? Love and commitment eluded Nina, so she sought a sperm donor, got pregnant, and along the way, we hear every thought, concern, idea, and notion that enters (and exits) her mind. Ideas like "family is difficult". Ideas like "I love my mother and my father is insensitive." Ideas like "labor is painful". Ideas like "I love my child". Ideas like "dating is difficult". I'm mesmerized. How HBO could have funded this two-hour exercise in time-wasting is beyond me. Why not have a documentary about me at the Farmers' Market or going to the dentist, while I'm worried about getting a cavity filled. Again, I appreciate that having a child is a bigger issue, but Ms. Davenport tackles this subject in the most clichéd manner one could imagine.Save yourself two hours. Skip the crap out of this.
AmericanMovieFan
Nina Davenport is a very talented, very engaging documentary film maker. Yet, she focuses on the mundane issues of her own existence. Despite having the camera trained on anything but herself, she manipulates every situation (at least those edited into the film to create a narrative) to be about her. The problem with this angle is that she is unable to create a universal connection or a common thread that will resonate with a diverse audience. It feels like the only people she's concerned with are those like her- people who can't find a soul mate. It's unfortunate. I've dated this type of woman. Same age, similar hang ups. I feel for her and people like her, I really do. However, there's a better documentary to be made examining the nature of those who are perpetually single and those who choose to have a child without a partner, or out of wedlock in friendship rather than love.She clearly isn't getting rich off these documentaries and has to supplement her income in other ways. This is a common thread from her previous film, Always A Bridesmaid, about being a perpetually single wedding videographer. This film is a solid continuation of Bridesmaid, made 13 years prior. She hasn't seemed to have changed much, apart from the typical alterations due to aging. I wonder what her next "big" documentary will be about- menopause? Retiring? Could she retire? What would retirement look like for her?