Birth

Director: Jonathan Glazer Jonathan Glazer

Overview

"Jonathan Glazer's sophomore directorial effort, the measured psychological drama Birth, may have failed to catch on with audiences, but it is a memorable moviegoing experience thanks in large part to the way the director's visual skills were augmented by ace cinematographer Harris Savides. The DVD release of the film offers a pristine anamorphic widescreen transfer that captures as much of their powerful collaboration as could be expected. English soundtracks are rendered in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Surround. There are no supplemental materials of any consequence, but those with a taste for visually rich films should find this disc worthwhile."

Product Details

Release Date:	04/19/2005
UPC:	0794043783821
Original Release:	2004
Rating:	R
Source:	New Line Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:40:00
Sales rank:	42,629

Special Features

Closed Caption; [None specified]

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Nicole Kidman	Anna
Cameron Bright	Nuori Sean
Danny Huston	Joseph
Lauren Bacall	Eleanor
Alison Elliott	Laura
Arliss Howard	Bob
Michael Desautels	Sean
Anne Heche	Clara
Peter Stormare	Clifford
Ted Levine	Mr. Conte
Cara Seymour	Mrs. Conte
Zoe Caldwell	Mrs. Hill
Scott Johnsen	Caterer
Joe M. Chambers	Sinclair
Novella Nelson	Lee
Charles Goff	Mr. Drummond
Joe M. Chalmers	Sinclair
Sheila Smith	Mrs. Drummond,Photographer,Waiter
Milo Addica	Jimmy
Mary Catherine Wright	Young Woman
Elizabeth Greenberg	Teacher
Tessa Auberjonois	Woman in Lobby
John Robert Tramutola	Stevie
Michael Joseph Cortese Jr.	Patrick/Mini Bike Driver
Margot Jewers	Real Estate Agent
Matthew Giffuni	Runner
Ian Hoffberg	Runner
Alexandre Desplat	Composer
Kavita R. Mangroo	Woman at Counter
Alexandra K. Salo	Woman at Party
Hollis Jones	Woman at Party #2
Bruce Bennetis	Wedding Photographer
Edward Bogdanowicz	Cop #1
Jordan Lage	Peter
Laura Fallon	Runner
John Juback	Man in Lobby
Libby Skala	Bridesmaid
Jerry Fuentes	Cop #2
Gregory Dann	Secretary

Technical Credits

Jonathan Glazer

Milo Addica

Jean-Claude Carrière

Jonathan Glazer	Director,Screenwriter
Milo Addica	Screenwriter
Lizie Gower	Producer
Nick Morris	Producer
Jean-Louis Piel	Producer
Mark Ordesky	Producer
Kerry Orent	Producer
Kate Myers	Producer
John Ottesen	Special Effects
Jean-Claude Carrière	Screenwriter
Michael Barosky	Sound Effects
Ron Bedrosian	Sound Effects
David Boulton	Sound Effects
James Boyle	Sound Effects
Steve Browell	Sound Effects
Roy Farfel	Stunts

Editorial Reviews

Jonathan Glazer's follow-up to Sexy Beast, Birth is a gravely serious yet intensely absorbing look at a widow contemplating a relationship with a young boy, after he provides convincing proof he's her husband. The film would seem to have the makings of good controversy -- reincarnation, pedophilia -- but Birth failed to provoke, getting brushed aside as a "weird little mistake" seen by few. That's a shame, because it's a beautifully crafted film and a haunting consideration of its unusual subject. Nicole Kidman gives a daring, detailed performance, conveying deeply conflicted emotion through vacant stares that undergo minute shifts in accordance with her thoughts. She invites the audience into her shoes, asking what they'd do if confronted with the same evidence. Glazer gives Kidman room to explore through long and lingering takes, which reinforce the meditative pacing. Danny Huston is superlative as the fiancé unraveling under the weight of the boy's bizarre infiltration, and Anne Heche etches her own lasting impression as Kidman's former rival, gaunt and focused. But the performance that really drives the film, for better or worse, is that of ten-year-old Cameron Bright -- who played another child of uncommon birth, a clone, in Godsend, released just a few months earlier. Bright may have confused the two films, because he gives Sean the empty affect of a pod person; he's a catatonic stalker rather than a facsimile of Anna's former husband, whether or not that's the most effective incarnation for winning her back. Glazer's choice is redeemed through the coda, which -- while no less cleanly resolved than any other part of this uncomfortable story -- at least indicates some hope for these lost souls.