Birth

Birth is a beautifully and intrinsically wonderfully complicated film about two people whose emotional lives intersect in the most curious way possible. Director Jonathan Glazer again excels with the psychological aspect and is again greatly aided by the visuals and music. This time, however, the result is the complete opposite of his edgy and frantic debut, Sexy Beast, as it is slow, hypnotic and fragile, with long shots. Nicole Kidman and Cameron Bright turn in masterful performances, Alexandre Desplat’s score is magical, and the subject matter is worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. Though the revealing of the point is a bit chaotic and perhaps a little disappointing in the context of the plot that came before, it blossoms into a BEAUTIFUL coalescence of ideas in the reverberant final minutes. In order to fully experience it, however, you have to have a feel for Glazer’s distinctive means of self-expression. (11.06.2005)

I waited a very long time for a screening of Birth and it was worth it. Some topics really require you to be more mature. The inner world of a woman who was widowed in an instant was another strong challenge for Nicole Kidman's acting. Some emotions and feelings cannot be suppressed, love cannot be made to disappear, and sometimes even a lifetime is not enough for the soul to recover... The fragile condition that needs to be cared for is thus a daily reality and day by day it becomes more and more difficult to cope with the reality. A strong theme. (04.07.2016)

A slow and hypnotic film whose fragile emotional plane is the most interestingly story in a long time. Too bad about the uneven second half, which falls short to the slow-moving first half, though it doesn't change the overall quality and the feeling that after a long time you are watching something completely new and original, even though there have been countless personal stories about fateful love and omens with more or less mysterious touch or interesting twist. Jonathan Glazer surprises in the uniqueness of some scenes (a 2-minute shot on Nicole Kidman's face, for example), where you can feel the inner turmoil and dispair of the main characters even without words. The final shot gives the feeling that you missed something and can be interpreted in multiple ways. One of the few films where the closing credits come at a moment when you absolutely don't count on them. (26.04.2016)