Birth (2004)

Director:

Jonathan Glazer

Writers:

Jean-Claude Carrière (written by) &
Milo Addica (written by) ...

Release Date:

3 November 2004 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Be careful what you wish for.

Plot:

A woman (Nicole Kidman) becomes convinced that a ten year old boy is the reincarnation of her dead husband.

Plot Keywords:

Reincarnation | Widow | Death | Supernatural Power | Pedophilia

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 9 nominations

Cast

Nicole Kidman	...	Anna
Cameron Bright	...	Young Sean
Danny Huston	...	Joseph
Lauren Bacall	...	Eleanor
Alison Elliott	...	Laura
Arliss Howard	...	Bob
Michael Desautels	...	Sean
Anne Heche	...	Clara
Peter Stormare	...	Clifford
Ted Levine	...	Mr. Conte
Cara Seymour	...	Mrs. Conte
Joe M. Chalmers	...	Sinclair
Novella Nelson	...	Lee
Zoe Caldwell	...	Mrs. Hill
Charles Goff	...	Mr. Drummond

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Taiwan:R-18 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-13 | Sweden:7 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Hong Kong:III (director's cut) | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:MG6 | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40949) | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Brightwaters, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

The type of cake served at Eleanor's birthday and which Sean has a left-over piece of is a Red Velvet Cake which is also known as a Waldorf Astoria Cake.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the second bath scene near the end of the movie, the amount of mud on Sean's face changes between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Voice of Sean: Ok, let me say this... If I lost my wife and, uh, the next day, a little bird landed on my windowsill, looked me right in the eye, and in plain English said, 'Sean, it's me, Anna. I'm back' What could I say? I guess I'd believe her. Or I'd want to. I'd be stuck with a bird. But other than that, no. I'm a man of science. I just don't believe that mumbo-jumbo. Now, that's gonna have to be the last question. I need to go running before I head home.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Work of Director Jonathan Glazer (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Tonight You Belong to Me

A Treat For the Art-house Crowd

If you see Birth, go in realizing it is an art-house film, not a mainstream thriller. If it didn't have Nicole Kidman in it, this film would be playing in less than 10 theaters in the country. But because of Kidman, it is playing in your local cineplex but this is not a film for the cineplex crowd. If you are looking for something like The Others, The Sixth Sense, or Ghost; do not see this film.

Birth is a film where atmosphere means more that dialog. This is not a fun film. The people in the film are very deadpan and do not smile; especially the child. Much has been made of the bath scene but that is actually one of the least radical parts of this film. The thing that will upset most people are the long close-ups without any dialog. Also, the conclusion does not tie up as many loose ends as a mainstream film. This film wants the viewer to think about it afterwards.

Nicole Kidman and Lauren Bacall are great but for me, Anne Heche almost stole the film with her small part. Also, the music is atmospheric and a real treat if you like symphonic music.

This is a beautiful film to look at and listen to. The story will keep you guessing which direction it is going to go. Whether you are happy with the outcome or not will probably depend on your expectations. Go into this film with an open mind. 9/10