Truth in advertising is concept that is seldom pursued in practice. Many people should be aware of this sad fact, otherwise they might get in same trouble as the protagonist of Birthday Girl, 2001 British film directed by Jez Butterworth. Being dedicated to his work as bank clerk in St. Albans, John Buckingham (played by Ben Chaplin) has built successful career and decent home. But he feels increasingly lonely, and, due to his introverted character, concludes that he can find proper woman only through unconventional means. Those methods include ordering bride from Russia and his choice is attractive woman called Nadia (played by Nicole Kidman), listed as perfect English speaker. When she arrives to England, John, much to his surprise, finds that Nadia can’t speak a word of English. He at first sees this as misunderstanding and contemplates sending her back to Russia, but Nadia makes him change his mind after she shows that possesses impressive bedroom skills. John is slowly adapting to new situation but emerging idyll is shattered when two Nadia’s cousins – Alexei (played by Vincent Cassell) and Yuri (played by Matthieu Kassovitz) - arrive to his home for a visit. They claim they are only there for a brief sleep over, but John becomes increasingly sceptical about their intentions. When those suspicions prove to be true, it seems to be too late for John to do something.
Based on script Butterworth, renowned British playwright who would later work on high budget Hollywood productions, co-wrote with his brother Tom, Birthday Girl was originally produced by Miramax in 1999. Its release was held for two years, before being rather unceremoniously shown in very limited release and almost instantly pulled back, becoming one of the more obscure titles in Butterworth’s filmography. This is somewhat surprising, considering that Nicole Kidman, who used to be one of the most popular film stars of her time, briefly appears nude in the film. And it is even more surprising considering that this, and few other scenes, feature some rather unconventional forms of sexuality. The most likely answer to this mystery, apart from the usual miscalculation by Miramax and too much concern over censorship, might be found in Birthday Girl leaving too much to be desired. The main problem is conceptual. Butterworth brothers have apparently envisioned Birthday Girl as quirky romantic comedy but, around half of running time, film turns into ultra-conventional thriller with rather predictable twist. Another issue is slow pace which become annoying in second half and makes this film feel longer than it actually is. Casting is, on the other hand, very good. Kidman and her two French colleagues easily play characters who speak almost exclusively Russian and their performance, at least to untrained ear, looks quite convincing. Birthday Girl is at times attractive and rather unusual film, but its peculiarity isn’t reason enough to be recommended to anyone but the more curious viewers.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
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