Birthday Girl Review
by Jonathan F. Richards (moviecritic AT prodigy DOT net)January 29th, 2002
BIRTHDAY GIRL
Rater R, 93 minutes
Directed by Jez Butterworth
WHEN, WHERE
Opens today at
"Birthday Girl" throws out an impressive challenge: is it possible to make a romantic comedy without a single laugh? It makes a breathtaking start in that direction, as sad sack Brit bank teller Ben Chaplin orders a Russian bride off the internet. She turns out to be Nicole Kidman, with black hair. She doesn’t speak English. She smokes. She throws up. He calls the agency to send her back, but they don’t return his calls. Many calls. She overcomes his disappointment with sexual aggressiveness. Two Russian pals of hers (French actors Mathieu Kassovitz and Vincent Cassel) show up on her birthday. They all go swimming in the swimming hole, and splash water on each other. Then comes a surprise plot twist that you will already suspect if you saw the trailer. But just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, something wonderful happened. At the screening I attended, a reel malfunctioned. They couldn't get it fixed, and offered to skip to the next reel. I left. From what I've since read, the movie goes downhill from there anyway.
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
