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Ponijao, Mari, Hattie, Bayarjargal, Tarererua ... see more see more... , Hindere , Seiko , Fumito , Susie , Frazer , Mandakh , Purev , Bayar

Filmmaker Thomas Balmes offers an adorable glimpse at the first phase of life in this film following four newborn babies through their first year of life. Ponijao, Bayar, Mari, and Hattie were born in... read more read more... Namibia, Mongolia, Japan, and California, respectively. By capturing their earliest stage of development on camera, Balmes reveals just how much we all have in common, despite being born to different parents and raised in different cultures. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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58% liked it

34,016 ratings

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69% liked it

107 critics

PG, 1 hr. 19 min.

Directed by: Thomas Balmes

Release Date: May 7, 2010

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DVD Release Date: September 28, 2010

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Stats: 1,415 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,415)

  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    June 16, 2011
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    Everybody loves...

    Good documentary! The film, stands on its own as a joyous celebration of the first year of life for four youngsters in different parts of the world. Filmed without narration, subtitles, or any comprehensible dialogue, Babies is a direct encounter with four ba... read morebies who stumble their predictable ways to participating in the awesome beauty of life.Needless to say, their experience of the first year of life is vastly different, yet what stands out is not how much is different but how much is universal as each in their own way attempts to conquer their physical environment.Though the language is different as well as the environment, the babies cry the same, laugh the same, and try to learn the frustrating, yet satisfying art of crawling, then walking in the same way.You will either find Babies entrancing or slow moving depending on your attitude towards babies because frankly that's all there is, yet for all it will be an immediate experience far removed from the world of cell phones and texting, exploring up close and personal the mystery of life as the individual personality of each child begins to emerge. This documentary is not for everyone, I work with kids in these ages so I loved it.

    Everybody loves...'Babies'. This visually stunning new movie simultaneously follows four babies around the world - from first breath to first steps. From Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo, 'Babies' joyfully captures on film the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all.
  • fb100000145236770
    May 16, 2011
    fb100000145236770
    When a sequel comes out I like to go back and watch the previous movies to refresh my memory so I don't miss anything. Well, in June we're having our first child, and what better way to get ready than to watch a documentary called "Babies." This is probably the cutest movie you... read more will ever see. No narration, just four different babies, from different cultures, from birth to year one. Like the babies themselves, the movie is short and very sweet. There are some moments where the babies expressions make you want to cry, and moments where you will almost cry from laughing so hard. There's even some moments, where as Emily would say, "What in the world?" This is a very touching, cute movie, that I think almost everyone will enjoy.
  • jennifxu
    April 30, 2011
    jennifxu
    How could you not love BABIES???? Nothing at all happens in this film but oh my god this is possibly the most adorable movie in the whole world. My favorite baby was the Mongolian baby, how about you? BABIES.
  • skeletonking101
    February 11, 2011
    skeletonking101
    YOU CANT HATE ON THE BABIES, THEYRE ADORABLE
  • superclerk25
    January 3, 2011
    superclerk25
    While this is one of the most visually stunning documentary films I have seen it's a little short when it comes to keeping my attention. With no narration this is just a bunch of beautiful snapshots into the lives of these babies that quickly gets a little old.
    The differences b... read moreetween what children have and how they are raised are massive in some cases and it makes me think of all the things we "need" when a new baby is born. All of it seems a little silly at this point.
  • bottcorecords1
    December 3, 2010
    bottcorecords1
    What can you say about a documentary that has no plot, no narrative, and no apparent purpose (other than that western parents are perhaps a little overzealous in protecting their babies from "germs" and dirt)? Babies is constructed to work soley on a visceral level and your enjo... read moreyment of it depends upon how you feel about the babies. To quote the Internet Movie Data Base, the film is "a look at one year in the life of four babies from around the world, from Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo". The babies are all very cute and the cinematography is at times amazing, but at 79 minutes, the movie seems a little bit long. Getting back to what I said about us westerners and our fear of dirt, it's quite startling to see the namibian mother wiping her baby's bottom on her knee (and then simply brushing her knee clean with a bit of old corn cob), or watching her clean the baby's face with her tongue. Things like baby wipes and diapers, which we consider necessities, are a foreign concept to those living outside our scope of knowledge. The namibian baby also crawls around in dirt and picks up the things she finds in the dirt and puts them in her mouth, a sight which I'm sure will shock most modern parents. And yet, the people in Namibia and Mongolia seem to have no trouble reproducing, and their children don't seem to be suffering any major deficiencies (other than the obvious one of poverty, but this is only a value judgement). Underneath the cultures and material possessions, we're all just human beings. Who's to say whether one life is better than another? We each get to define our own happiness.
  • neverteaseaweasel
    December 2, 2010
    neverteaseaweasel
    The main thing that strikes me about Babies is how real everything was. Never before has a documentary seemed this real. Perhaps is due to the experience of being around children, but I've never experienced that nostalgic 'oh yeah, that's how it is' sort of feeling during a docum... read moreentary. Many a conservative parent would take my head for saying this, but the closest thing to compare this to is one of those Nova or Nature programs on public television (the undertone there being that children and animals are not so very different) Babies is much more innovated and vivid, but the general concept is the same. Another thing I absolutely loved is that there is not any dialog or voice-over. Things like Planet Earth have the potential to be absolutely amazing and then there is always obnoxious narration. I do not care about the details! Nor do I want to learn anything! I just want to watch frogs mate! - alright, scratch that last bit. Anyway, the point being, Babies does not need any dialog because there is nothing to communicate. The film appeals to our very humanity and that is done so much better with imagery than with words. So, why isn't there a higher rating? Honestly, after the first 20 minutes it's boring as hell. Towards the end I realized that I was watching as much for the cats as the babies. So much for sentiment. Still, it really is a good, well-done film and these babies are some of the most charming and well-mannered that you are ever likely to come across.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    November 26, 2010
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Ponijao. Mari. Bayar. Hattie."

    A look at one year in the life of four babies from around the world, from Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo.

    REVIEW

    Documentary style exposition... read more of the first year or so of the lives and experiences of four tiny tots from four widely divergent cultures. We watch basically from their eager-to-learn perspectives as these debutantes to the world learn to embrace life through the cultural lens of their respective families.

    The babies' individual stories are told concurrently, with little vignettes of parallel events shown side-by-side to compare and contrast how the rudimentary experiences common to all people are filtered into the different cultures and life styles, but not essentially different in the end. Learning to crawl, walk, how to interact with others, learning about self, etc. are all shown in the normal development chronology. The children hobble, falter, struggle, cry in anguish and frustration, make pratfalls, experiment, learn, and finally succeed. And then: move on to the next challenge in the crazy and wonderful journey of life.

    It's difficult to watch the children when they fail or feel pain. It's also cute and funny as their unique personalities begin to emerge: the San Francisco baby has the most humorous moment with her logical and effective reaction to an irritating PC kiddy song. There's very little dialogue; only a few words by the adults is used, as necessary for a few key events. Usually there's cooing or crying by the little ones. The intent works: the kids are the stars.

    A gentle documentary that intentionally paces slow and focuses on the babies and how they react. Sweet, joyous, and upbeat.
  • FrizzDrop
    November 2, 2010
    FrizzDrop
    I loved what was lacking in this film: a narrator, obnoxious soundtrack, and subtitles. They all would take away the core idea of this remarkable film, which really does give you a picture of how children grow up all over the world, but are all basically the same.
  • coollala0910
    October 22, 2010
    coollala0910
    Babies is a much simpler film than you think. The trailer just shows a montage of clips featuring cute babies. The actual film just shows us how different cultures raise children. Since babies don't talk much and the film is set in Africa, Mongolia, and Japan where English is not... read more the native language, the movie is mostly silent and makes you discuss what you're watching with your chums.

    Ponjiao was undeniably adorable, Mari was cute, and Hattie was cute but her hippie tree-hugging parents were creepy. The movie focuses a bit too much on the Mongolian baby, Bayar but that shoudn't kill you. The point of the movie is to make you love all the babies.

    Babies is a must-see. The viewing experience is enjoyable but don't let the infant and maternal nudity throw it off for you.

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Critic Reviews

David Denby
May 10, 2010
David Denby, New Yorker

The movie is pleasing -- who doesn't love gurgling babies? -- but as anodyne as a series of episodes from America's Funniest Home Videos. Full Review

David Edelstein
May 10, 2010
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

Presents itself as an ethnographic meditation on the first year of life but is better approached as an "oooooh" and "awww" fest... Full Review

Rick Groen
May 7, 2010
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Really, it's a nature documentary, except that the topic is human nature and the subjects are the only humans on the planet whose behaviour is unaffected by the camera. Full Review

Tom Long
May 7, 2010
Tom Long, Detroit News

Blessed with no narration, an absence of gimmickry and an embracing love for its subject matter, Babies is as sweet, joyful and filled with curiosity as a you-know-what. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
May 7, 2010
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

Babies begins to gain telling traction as the small triumphs start to come faster toward the sixth-month mark. Things begin to look up once the infants begin to, well, look up. Full Review

Manuel Mendoza
May 7, 2010
Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News

Watch a baby for a while and chances are you'll be entertained. Multiply that times four and you have BabiesM/em>, a documentary as funny, charming and un-self-conscious as its subjects. Full Review

A.O. Scott
May 7, 2010
A.O. Scott, New York Times

Might restore your faith in our perplexing, peculiar and stubbornly lovable species. Full Review

Peter Rainer
May 7, 2010
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Babies is a celebration of the gloriously mundane. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
May 7, 2010
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Babies is a mesmerizing and weirdly manipulative experience, combining wide-eyed innocence and shrewd cultural commentary as it chronicles the folkways and familial rites of four starkly different soc... Full Review

Kyle Smith
May 7, 2010
Kyle Smith, New York Post

The cry of a baby is ruthlessly, evolutionarily designed to be one of the most irritating sounds on Earth. So why would you want to hear it (many times) on massive movie theater speakers? Full Review

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