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Birthday Girl

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Birthday Girl (2002)

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Reviews Counted:120

Fresh:69

Rotten:51

Average Rating:5.7/10

Consensus: Kidman shows her range in this quirky movie, but the shift in tone from romantic comedy to thriller may leave viewers unsatisfied.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for sexuality and language

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Feb 1, 2002 Limited

Box Office: $4,919,896

Synopsis: At a London airport, shy bank clerk John (Ben Chaplin) watches passengers arriving from an international flight. He's waiting for his mail order bride to arrive from Russia. When she finally... At a London airport, shy bank clerk John (Ben Chaplin) watches passengers arriving from an international flight. He's waiting for his mail order bride to arrive from Russia. When she finally appears, she's not exactly what John had in mind--tall, thin, and gangly, with scruffy hair and rings around her eyes, Nadia (Nicole Kidman) seems worn, apprehensive, and tired. As he drives her home, John discovers she can't speak a word of English, but she does smoke prodigiously. He makes repeated calls to the agency that arranged the marriage, leaving messages that a mistake has been made. But although Nadia doesn't know any English, John soon discovers that she knows all about sex. He changes his mind about sending her back. The opening of director Jez Butterworth's BIRTHDAY GIRL is amusing and raunchy. But the film takes off in another direction when, on Nadia's birthday, two boisterous Russians (exuberantly played by French actors Vincent Cassel and Matthieu Kassovitz) arrive and take over John's home. The clever, twisting narrative that follows is, by turns, surprising, funny, and suspenseful. Chaplin's thoughtful performance counterbalances Kidman's troubled volatile heroine, who is not who she seems to be. [More]

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Ben Chaplin, Vincent Cassel, Mathieu Kassovitz

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Ben Chaplin, Vincent Cassel, Mathieu Kassovitz

Director: Jez Butterworth

Director: Jez Butterworth
Screenwriter: Tom Butterworth, Jez Butterworth
Producer: Steve Butterworth, Diana Phillips
Composer: Stephen Warbeck
Studio: Miramax Films

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Release:

Aug 13, 2002

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Birthday Girl
  • The irresistible Nicole Kidman (MOULIN ROUGE, THE OTHERS) powers a sexy thriller where appearances can be deceiving and nothing ends as expected! A lonely and repressed bank employee, John Buckingham (Ben Chaplin, THE THIN RED LINE) desperately wants to meet the right girl. Then, through a Russian mail-order bride service, he is introduced to Nadia (Kidman), a quiet and attractive woman who doesn't speak English. After several sensual encounters, John's fondness for Nadia grows ... until the sudden arrival of Nadia's two gregarious cousins makes John realize that he's in over his head. Acclaimed by critics everywhere, this unpredictably entertaining hit will keep you guessing as it keeps you on the edge of your seat!
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Birthday Girl

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    There are enough well layered performances in director/co-writer Jez Butterworth's "Birthday Girl" to all but compensate for the film's inept noir flirtations between romantic farce and theft thriller.

    Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
    08/25/09
    Cole Smithey
    Cole Smithey
    ColeSmithey.com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
    04/29/09
    Felix Vasquez Jr.
    Felix Vasquez Jr.
    Cinema Crazed
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    03/26/09
    Deborah Young
    Deborah Young
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
    08/07/08
    Mark Halverson
    Mark Halverson
    Sacramento News & Review

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    12/30/06
    Empire Magazine
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
    05/26/06
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    02/09/06
    Time Out
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
    12/06/05
    Film Threat
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Although "Birthday Girl" is labeled a romantic comedy, it's not wildly funny or romantic.

    Full Review Source: Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) | comment Comment
    06/25/04
    Judith Egerton
    Judith Egerton
    Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Zap2it.com | comment Comment
    02/24/04
    Michael Szymanski
    Michael Szymanski
    Zap2it.com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
    12/15/03
    Alexander Walker
    Alexander Walker
    This is London
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
    12/15/03
    Christopher Tookey
    Christopher Tookey
    Daily Mail [UK]

    Nifty...

    Full Review Source: Greenwich Village Gazette | comment Comment
    11/07/03
    Eric Lurio
    Eric Lurio
    Greenwich Village Gazette

    Simple but effective.

    Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs | comment Comment
    09/27/03
    Scott Nash
    Scott Nash
    Three Movie Buffs

    O filme tenta ser comédia romântica, suspense erótico, thriller e assim por diante. A única que se salva é Kidman, belíssima como sempre e com um sotaque russo sedutor.

    comment Comment
    07/25/03
    Pablo Villaca
    Pablo Villaca
    Cinema em Cena

    Butterworth has an effective directorial shorthand and the film is full of small, unobtrusive touches that smartly enhance the scenes. Kidman, of course, is magnetic; her absorbing performance makes this Birthday party one worth attending.

    Full Review Source: Entertainment Today | comment Comment
    07/18/03
    Brent Simon
    Brent Simon
    Entertainment Today

    Chaplin’s performance is the only present Birthday Girl offers.

    Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment Comment
    06/10/03
    Jeffrey Westhoff
    Jeffrey Westhoff
    Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

    Nicole Kidman chain smokes, speaks Russian, and shows her [rear end] - sign me up!

    Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
    03/19/03
    Brian Mckay
    Brian Mckay
    eFilmCritic.com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Scott Mantz' Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    02/04/03
    Scott A. Mantz
    Scott A. Mantz
    Scott Mantz' Movie Reviews

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
    12/17/02
    Rebecca Murray
    Rebecca Murray
    About.com
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    Latest News for Birthday Girl

    September 27, 2005: Nicole Kidman's a "Headhunter"
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    June 24, 2005: Kassovitz Heads Out to "Babylon A.D."
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