Birth

Plot Summary

Anna (Nicole Kidman), who lost her husband 10 year previously, is about to tie the knot again with Joseph (Danny Huston). She has found it difficult to move on with her life following the death of her husband, Sean, but the prospect of future happiness is looking better for the wealthy New Yorker. That is until a ten year-old boy (Cameron Bright) comes to her home and tells her that he is Sean, the reincarnation of her dead husband. The young boy tells her not to marry Joseph. Anna is annoyed and marches the boy out of her home but when he turns up again and shows that he knows intimate details of Anna and Sean's life all the grief comes flooding back and Anna is hurt and confused.

Review

This film takes a lofty look at grief, love and reincarnation in an arty type of way that won't appeal to a lot of viewers. It is a study of how intense emotions can effect one's rational and judgement. This quirky film has a sombre, uneasy mood that plods along slowly and heavily. The uneasiness stems from the relationship between Anna and the ten year old boy who claims to be her dead husband. She loved her husband dearly and now, fragile and confused, that love is being transferred to the young boy. The director has a precarious juggling act whereby he is trying to portray these emotions without pushing the movie towards absurdity and bad taste. Once or twice the balls are nearly dropped in this juggling act and a couple of scenes will cause audiences to shift uneasily in their seats. The eerie performance of young Cameron Bright adds to this mood.  The young boy, Sean, is just a kid who likes ice-cream and playing in the park but he never smiles and his claims of being Anna's dead husband are unfaltering and persistent.

Anna is confronted with an impossible situation. Just after the announcement of her wedding she has to decide if her dead husband has returned. If she believes and accepts that this has happened she is in the bizarre situation whereby her husband is now a 10 year old boy. Nicole Kidman give a good performance in portraying the turmoil that Anna experiences.

When you actually think about what, and how things happen in the film you realise that the story doesn't make any sense and overall is really quite silly. There are numerous incredible bits that just don't add up. The story is flawed and badly told.

Bottom Line: Slow and clumsy, this film didn't work for me on any level. It is neither entertaining, moving, insightful or memorable.

Reviewed by Niall Quinn, Premier Movie Reviews 2004.

RELATED MOVIE REVIEWS:  NICOLE KIDMAN: The Hours,  The Others, Moulin Rouge,  Cold Mountain,  The Stepford Wives. 

Genre: Drama

Certificate: 15

Director: Jonathan Glazer

~ Main Cast ~

Nicole Kidman

Cameron Bright

Danny Huston

Lauren Bacall

Anne Heche

RATING

NOT WORTH THE TIME