Life As We Know It

Of all film’s towering “how’d they do that? mysteries, I always wonder how they get babies to emote on cue. Do they train a camera on them for hours and edit in the choice cuts, or do they just dab a little pepper paste on the sides of the baby’s mouth and under their eyes and nose like they did to Mr.Ed? Speaking of peppery substances assaulting the senses, one can turn the discussion to Life as We Know It. Katherine Heigl is a hostile presence who leans towards unpleasant, sickening battle-of-the-sexes type films. Life soothes Heigl’s brittle tension a tad, but the futile “I’m Julia fucking Roberts!” masquerade lopes onward. The film accurately portrays the worries and mistakes of new parents, but, as per usual, depicts a love story not actually based on real emotions. –Hillary Titley