The image of Nicole Kidman naked and tied to a bed is what is going to make this movie so successful on video. I’m sure there is a digital capture of that already circulating around the web, and all of her ‘fans’ are asking “what movie does this belong too?”.

“Birthday Girl” was actually filmed two years ago, but was shelved. Rumor has it that it has just been released because Nicole Kidman is riding a great wave of popularity and critical acclaim due to both “Moulin Rouge” and “The Others” released this year.

I’d like to say that Birthday Girl is a good movie, but in truth it is only better than average. I was entertained watching it, and glad I saw it, but something about it never clicked. On top of that, Nicole Kidman isn’t even the best thing about the film.

The movie begins with Ben Chaplin ordering a Russian bride over the Internet. I think these scenes are funny because they are so true. Women are selected from an online catalog, where he is viewing video clips and looking at pictures. It looks like he is bookmarking his favorites, and eventually adds one to his shopping cart.

Most people would be happy to receive a Nicole Kidman through the mail, however, as he is driving her home from the airport he realizes that she doesn’t speak any English. Some people also may like this in a bride, but not Chaplin who repeatedly calls the web site customer service line to complain, but only gets voice mail since it is the weekend. Me personally, I would be more bothered by the fact that she smokes when he selected a non-smoking bride.

After he goes off to his first day of work, Kidman searches through the house and finds his stash of porn tied and hidden in a garbage bag. The porn here is definitely slanted towards the fetish, and I couldn’t help but get a little chuckle as I saw the man two rows in front of me sink his head in shame as he realized that he is watching brief clips of a movie called “Bondage Sluts” within this movie. I bet he wasn’t looking forward to a question and answer session with his daughter on the drive home.

Kidman, apparently very much wanting to please, explains without words that she is willing to perform similar acts to what she has just watched and seen from his porn collection. Soon Chaplin becomes relaxed with his new arrangement, and doesn’t even seem to mind as much that his new wife doesn’t speak English. Although, he does buy her a Russian/English dictionary. She doesn’t seem that anxious to read it, and initially only uses it to crush some of the many ants crawling throughout the kitchen.

Shortly after a montage of blissful scenes, two Russian strangers show up on Nadia’s birthday. They seem a little pushy, but one of them speaks English, so Chaplin is happy to finally communicate with Nadia some of his feelings. You would think he would have lots of stuff to say, but he is actually unprepared, and the scene is very funny and sweet at the same time. Still, Chaplin is nervous because one of the men seems prone to violence and is acting a little too friendly for a cousin.

The movie leads us into some unexpected territory next, and it is hard to tell who can be trusted. Chaplin soon finds himself stealing from the bank where he works, and hiding from the law. There are more than just a few major surprises throughout the film’s last half.

The best part of the movie is Ben Chaplin’s early reactions to his situation. Actually he does a fantastic job of having mixed emotions throughout most of the film. When he first sees Kidman at the airport he successfully manages to look happy, nervous, and in a little shock. When he first sees that she doesn’t speak any English, you can sense some frustration mixed with disbelief.

He definitely sounds what we Americans like to call “reserved in a British way”. When his repeated calls to the “From Russia with Love” website technical support line are unanswered throughout the weekend, he sounds like someone calling up Amazon trying to complain that he didn’t get the right book that he ordered. An American would have been screaming and threatening to sue.

Throughout the film, he is able to convey a mixed set of emotions. When a co-worker asks how he spent the weekend, you can tell that he wants to sing out with joy at finding a fiancé, but he is also a little embarrassed. When her Russian ‘cousins’ come to visit he is confused, nervous and happy.

I loved the scene when he has ‘rescued’ both himself and the traitorous Kidman and is ordering breakfast in a roadside diner. He is angry and embarrassed, but also worried about how this has ruined his life, and what would happen next. I really believed him when Nadia tells him that there is nothing he could do to her that could be worse than has already happened to her. He simply states (with British slang) that he would still like to give it a good try.

A lot of people first noticed Chaplin back in 1994 in “Remains of the Day”. I first saw him in “The Truth About Cats & Dogs” and he didn’t really stand out to me. But I did remember him from “Lost Souls” where I thought he turned in a better performance than the movie demanded. I hope he gets more roles, because I’m sure he is just one high-profile role away from becoming a household name.

Kidman does something that sounds easy but is actually quite difficult. She has to spend about half the film not speaking. She is on screen for at least 50% of this time, and has to convey thoughts and emotions to us, which she does successfully. This movie only got released because of her excellent recent track record, including award nominations for her performances in both “Moulin Rouge” and “The Others”. She is just as good here as she was in those films, and what is most impressive is how completely different these films and her characters are.

Vincent Cassell and Mathieu Kassovitz play the Russian ‘cousins’. I also want to compliment their performances because although they are both French, I fully believed that they were Russian. I just recently saw Cassell in “Brotherhood of the Wolf” barely a month earlier and didn’t recognize him until I cross referenced his name on IMDB.

For all the good performances, and interesting story, something keeps me from wholeheartedly recommending the film. For all the good parts, it just didn’t seem to mesh well. I found the ending very unsatisfying, if only because it acts like it is a ‘happy’ ending, although I think they are just starting off in having even larger problems. I don’t think they truly loved one another before, much less after all the secrets are out. And could 90,000 British Pounds really make you set for life?

I did enjoy the film, and I am glad I saw it, but I can only recommend it with some reservations.



Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older