At a London airport, shy bank clerk John (Ben Chaplin) watches passengers arriving from an international flight. He's waiting for his mail order bride to arrive from Russia. When she finally appears, she's not exactly what John had in mind--tall, thin, and gangly, with scruffy hair and rings around her eyes, Nadia (Nicole Kidman) seems worn, apprehensive, and tired. As he drives her home, John discovers she can't speak a word of English, but she does smoke prodigiously. He makes repeated calls to the agency that arranged the marriage, leaving messages that a mistake has been made. But although Nadia doesn't know any English, John soon discovers that she knows all about sex. He changes his mind about sending her back.
The opening of director Jez Butterworth's BIRTHDAY GIRL is amusing and raunchy. But the film takes off in another direction when, on Nadia's birthday, two boisterous Russians (exuberantly played by French actors Vincent Cassel and Matthieu Kassovitz) arrive and take over John's home. The clever, twisting narrative that follows is, by turns, surprising, funny, and suspenseful. Chaplin's thoughtful performance counterbalances Kidman's troubled volatile heroine, who is not who she seems to be.
Theatrical release: February 1, 2002 (NY/LA)
Original Production Year: 2000.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35
Letterbox - 2.35
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Material:
Music Video: "Somethin' Stupid"
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Distributor Notes: Birthday Girl
The irresistible Nicole Kidman (MOULIN ROUGE, THE OTHERS) powers a sexy thriller where appearances can be deceiving and nothing ends as expected! A lonely and repressed bank employee, John Buckingham (Ben Chaplin, THE THIN RED LINE) desperately wants to meet the right girl. Then, through a Russian mail-order bride service, he is introduced to Nadia (Kidman), a quiet and attractive woman who doesn't speak English. After several sensual encounters, John's fondness for Nadia grows ... until the sudden arrival of Nadia's two gregarious cousins makes John realize that he's in over his head. Acclaimed by critics everywhere, this unpredictably entertaining hit will keep you guessing as it keeps you on the edge of your seat!
Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
Executive Producer
Colin Leventhal: Executive Producer, ABOUT ADAM (2001)
Executive Producer
Julie Goldstein: Exec .Producer, 'The Mighty'
Executive Producer
Paul Webster: executive producer
Executive Producer
Sydney Pollack: American Director, producer, actor
Director of Photography
Oliver Stapleton:
Review 1:
"...Nicole Kidman zings up the already zingy script of BIRTHDAY GIRL....[A] smart and funny love story..."
Source: Variety
p.24 09/17/2001
Review 2:
"...The film is brisk and tidy..."
Source: New York Times
p.E20 02/01/2002
Review 3:
"...There are some beautifully nuanced scenes....Chaplin and Kidman have a fizzy chemistry..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.40-1 07/01/2002
Review 4:
"...If you're happy to swing from drama to black comedy to noir this will reward your effort....Tom and Jez Butterworth sustain a winning freshness throughout..."
Source: Total Film
p.96 08/01/2002
Review 5:
"...The story keeps you guessing right up to the end..."
Source: USA Today
p.2E 02/01/2002
Review 6:
"...In a fierce black farce, BIRTHDAY GIRL's remixing of traditional genre elements tells you from frame one that a distinctive film sensibility is at work..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.C2 02/01/2002
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