Birthday Girl Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Before They Share A Future, They Have To Survive Her Past.
Somebody's In For A Big Surprise.
Be careful what you wish for...
Dangerous Girl... Deceptive Girl... Innocent Girl...
She's nothing he ever expected and everything he's always desired.
Internet love connections and mail-order brides rarely ever work out, and John (played by Ben Chaplin) should have known. Having never been lucky in the game of love and tired of waiting for the perfect woman to come along, John decides to take his chances and orders a mail-order bride from Russia online. At first, things seem perfect: his new bride Nadia (Nicole Kidman) is a gorgeous woman, and although she may not speak much English, her skills in the bedroom more than make up for any communication problems. When Nadia's 'cousins' unexpectedly arrive to celebrate her birthday, John is drawn into their web of corruption and crime.
| Nicole Kidman | Sophia, alias Nadia |
| Ben Chaplin | John |
| Vincent Cassel | Alexei |
| Mathieu Kassovitz | Yuri |
| Kate Lynn Evans | Clare |
| Stephen Mangan | Bank Manager |
| Alexander Armstrong | Robert Moseley |
| Sally Phillips | Karen |
| Jo McInnes | Waitress |
| Ben Miller | Concierge |
| Jonathan Aris | D.I. O'Fetiger |
| Katya Barton-Chapple | Young Sophia |
| Raj Ghatak | Bank Colleague |
| Mark Gatiss | Porter |
| Jez Butterworth |
6.00 out of 10 (8350 votes)
Visitor Reviews
It's a sexy and emotional ride!!!
posted on 09 Jun 2009The movie Birthday Girl is a stunning mixture of suspense, deception, betrayal and love in all the wrong places. Nicole Kidman spices up her role with a really sexy and secretive style. The movie is very fast paced but this element plays a big role in the artistic content of the movie. This movie is truly great and deserves two thumbs up. The script and acting is really good. Dont miss this movie, another academy award deserving performance by Nicole Kidman.
Nicole Kidman! Need any other incentive to see it??
posted on 01 Jun 2009"Birthday Girl" is a pleasant dark, romantic thriller where no one actually gets hurt bad. Plain, boring banker (Ben Chaplin) uses the website "From Russia With Love" for a mail-order bride Nadia (Nicole Kidman) whom he first encounters at the airport. On the way home he finds out that she apparently speaks no English, smokes, so he tries to return her. (If I were him, I wouldn'd care, as long as she looked as good as Kidman!). She even starts her sexual "favors" right away.SPOILERS - Anyway, the whole thing turns out to be a scam, she really does speak English, she and her two Russian partners who shortly show up make their spending money this way, apparently threatening the girl, and making the man go for lots of money. Being a banker, Chaplin manages to get 90,000 British pounds. He eventually gets the best of them and, while being hunted by the bumbling British police, boards a plane to Russia with Nadia, using the passport and ticket of one of the crooks. He gets what he started looking for, but does it in a very round-about way, and in the process has to give up every thing he had before.Not a great film, but fairly entertaining, and Nicole Kidman is the main reason to see it. Ben Chaplin does a good job as the droll sad-sack banker. The two Russians are played by accomplished French actors. The DVD is sharp, has a good surround track, and a nice music video which includes Kidman singing "Something Stupid" in duet.
Like day old pizza
posted on 22 May 2009Some will hate it, some will love it, and most will find it unsatisfying and marginally palatable. "Birthday Girl" tells of an Englishman (Chaplin) who orders a Russian bride via the Internet and gets more than he bargained for. No, Kidman is not sexalicious in spite of what the advertising suggests. Instead, "B-Day Girl" squeaks by with a meager make-it-up-as-you-go plot, poor chemistry between Kidman and Chaplin, and wouldn't fit any genre if it was hammered in. A silly mix of dry comedy and drama which doesn't end as much as it quits. Mediocre stuff best saved for broadcast. (C)
Missing something
posted on 02 May 2009I had been looking forward to seeing Nicole's new movie since I saw the previews on television. I was expecting something that was going to not only move me but leave me with something to think about. as I sat watching i could help but want more. when the movie was all i could think about was that something was missing in the story line that this could not be it. Even though the acting was good and there were some parts to remember the movies left me wanting more. Instead of 1hour and 45 min movie it felt it was over soon as it started.
Not about St. Albans
posted on 18 Apr 2009Having seen the film there is not very much of St. Albans in the film what so ever. As previously stated the high street views are not St.Albans and equally i cetainly haven't found a large wood with a big pond in St.albans at all-unless you count verulanium park but it wasn't filmed there either. In fact the ponds used look more like some private fishing ponds close to Elstree. In fact the only part of St. Albans you might see in the film is when the car exits the multi-story car park and turns down a road (blink and you'll miss it) but that 5 seconds worth of film is actually St. Albans. Other than that you get a number of shots of the M25 orbital road (and surprisingly uncongested so god knows when they filmed that).It all seems a bit silly really eg if you make a film set in London or New York eg then most of the time the film is actually based in the relevant city. Disappointing setting and not particularly good film either still at least it will save me bothering to buy the DVD.
A good contender for "Most cliches in a single movie" award
posted on 29 Mar 2009Some spoilers!This movie is not that bad but its problem is that is shows us things we have seen in so many other (and mostly better) movies. Every character is stereotypical to the extreme - the bad gangster, the "kind" gangster with some jokes, the naive clerk, the beautiful woman who is somewhere in between femme fatalle and an innocent girl needing protection. The plot is also a big cliche and very predictable. The Russians smoke, drink and commit crimes - is there any mainstream movie featuring Russian characters in which they don't do the things listed above? Of course, the main characters first like each other, than briefly hate each other but in the end...gasp...they are on the verge of falling in love. Hello, how many movies are there with the same romantic story? A million? But as I said putting the originality problem, "Birthday Girl" could be a fairly enjoyable movie if not taken seriously. About the acting - Ben Chaplin was annoying. I don't know whether it was deliberate but he had the same facial expression all the time. Making fun of the cold-heated Englishmen? Or just bad acting? You decide. Nicole Kidman as usual delivers, not that her role was very difficult or something. Her Russian accent was quite convincing but her trying to speak Russian was not that well done. Still better than most Hollywood flicks with people speaking Russian. Her character is the most interesting one and she manages to keep viewers in suspense about "Nadia's" true personality until close to end. Of course, that is, if you are a bit slowly thinking and not drawing from experience with similar movies to guess what the ending would be (very easy to guess, alas). She is not surprisingly the main reason a lot of people (myself included) have watched this movie and I doubt many Kidman fans will be disappointed by her performance.All in all, not the worst way to lose nearly two hours of your life but nothing more - 5/10.
Twists Come Early On In This Drama
posted on 21 Feb 2009For a film that got little publicity, and few people have heard about, this was pretty good. It's another one of these modern-day British crime films that are quirky ("Snatch," "Sexy Beast," etc.). It's not wild like "Snatch" but it's interesting and it has some rough characters.It also has a corny and somewhat predictable ending but early in the show - not late - has some neat twists to make it very interesting for the first-time viewer. Basically, it's about a low-key British male who sends away for a Russian "mail order bride" who winds up, with the aid of two Russian male friends, providing a couple of big surprises.Ben Chapin and Nicole Kidman co-star, and are very good as are Vincent Cassel and Matthieu Kassovitz as Kidman's Russian cohorts. This is a different kind of film and well-acted. Kidman once again proves she's far more than just a beautiful face.
why so critical
posted on 09 Feb 2009I rented this movie with some apprehension because of the number of negative comments. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The acting was great and the story was entertaining. If you go into the movie expecting to be amused and not totally swept away you will enjoy this movie. Be sure and watch the music video of Nicole and Robbie Williams singing "Something Stupid"-it's fun.
A Channel 4 Film
posted on 24 Jan 2009The summary probably doesn't mean much to our American breathern but it is a very English film, it has a dark humour and many many references that set the scene but can past un-noticed otherwise (Showing what a sad life he leads we see he has a Ladybird book of the Sea).The film is quite funny, not in an hilarious way but it does have its moments (When she presents him with his discovered porn stash), I can't say I found it particularly tense and it did drag a tad about 3 quarters a way through.There's also quite a bit of sex (not graphically so) but enough for a couple to leave the not very packed cinema.Overall a better than average film and one I'll probably get on DVD when it comes out.
Kassovitz, Cassel far from hell
posted on 19 Dec 2008I agree with most of the comments that have been entered here. But Iam surprized to see that no one really mentioned the performances of Vincent Cassel and Mattieu Kassovitz. They were my best part of the movie! They were funny and accent-wise, you cannot expect a non-russian to get it right,I thought they pulled it off quite well and that Kassovitz' russian accented english was brilliant, brilliant! I wish more american films included these 2!
Nicole saves this one, and makes it good!
posted on 23 Nov 2008I saw this one at the theatre and it was pretty decent, regardless of what some critics have said about it. This film reminds me of another Brit-film called B-Monkey, and I wondered if they had wanted to cast Asia Argento in this one too, because I think she was born for this role! I was surprised that Nicole Kidman did this role, because I felt it was beneath her. Like she's "too good" to do this role. I just figured she'd want a bigger-budget deal, so to see her in this low-budget small-time film, I was honestly surprised, yet intrigued. She pulled it off well. (Spoilers!) Her Russian accent was great! It was wild to see her act like she didn't know any English at first, and towards the end, you see that she really could, but was just faking it! You can see the plot coming once she arrives in London. You just KNOW some goons are gonna come out of the wood-work soon and rob the guy - and they do! You feel sorry for the poor lonely bloke and the sad thing is, there's a gal co-worker who actually likes him and asks him what he's doing for the weekend and he blows her off and runs home, to be alone! Instead, he orders a complete STRANGER, a "mail-order-bride" from Russia! Can you imagine dealing with someone who does NOT speak your language, who is NOT from the same part of the world as you are, who does NOT see things as you do politically or who does not appreciate who you are as a person? Well, he ordered a mail-order "bride" and she turned out to be a fraud! A damned pretty fraud, but a fraud nonetheless. A decent movie, if not a bit predictable. I give it a 6 out of 10 votes! Mainly because Nicole is so damned HOT in this one. But I can't help but wonder: What would this film have been like if Asia Argento had played her part?
For Kidman Fanatics
posted on 30 Oct 2008And I am a Nicole Kidman fanatic. I would pay to see and hear her read the Moscow phone book, which, for all I know, she may have been doing when she was speaking Russian in this movie. All four of the principals are excellent, but the movie itself is a number of good images and better scenes held together by nothing.While one is always ready to suspend disbelief while watching a movie, this one asks too much of the viewer. It could have been very funny (which it is in parts) or quite frightening (which it is in one scene) but the director didn't seem to know which way to go.
Refreshingly different thriller
posted on 26 Oct 2008At first glance, this movie comes across as an ordinary thriller. Yet, as the movie progresses, it defies traditional clichés. Though the action consists of John trying to stay alive, the final impression the movie leaves is far deeper than that. (Warning: mild spoiler)In the end, the focus is on him breaking free of his mundane, unimpressive life, and how his life is totally transformed.Although perhaps there is not as much action as some would like, and moves slower than most thrillers, Birthday Girl still manages to leave you hanging at the edge of your seat, and gives you something to think about.Refreshing!
odd yet strangely entertaining film
posted on 12 Oct 2008This film is definitely an odd love story. Though this film may not be much to shout about, Nicole Kidman carries the film on her own the rest of the cast could quite easily be forgotten, though Ben Chaplin does do quite a good job of Hertfordshire Life with shots of St Albans & Hemel Hempstead town centre depicting the true essence of the area. What starts outlooking like a regular episode of the popular British TV series"Heartbeat" soon turns into a gritty gangster getaway action flick.Nothing truly memorable happens in this simple small film and thus ends-up as fairly decent weekend entertainment. A good one to watch, and if you like the hero john are lonely thirty something you may find something to identify with in his character.
Good acting, somewhat implausible, leaves you wanting more
posted on 29 Aug 2008Every time I see Nicole I like her more. I love a movie like this. A woman you just won't give up on, but she keeps breaking your heart. First movie I remember seeing like this was Of Human Bondage, the Kim Novak - Laurence Harvey version. The beefs about the correctness of the Russian spoken in this film are petty, it was good enough to fool me or anybody else who can't speak Russian, I'm sure. Funny how people miss the point. The no-goodnik Russian guys were well cast too. Finally, I have to tip my hat to Ben Chaplin, as somebody else noted, he plays a sap with great dignity, and there was definitely some heat between him and Nicole. To think, guys get PAID for that, mind-blowing.
Game on!
posted on 11 May 2008Ben 'Game On' Chaplin as he will forever be remembered by me, has proved himself a capable convert to the big-screen, although I don't think this is one of his best performances. Ms Kidman on the other hand - who rarely inspires me - actually does a pretty decent job in this. Maybe because she does have a much meatier role to get stuck into, with Chaplin reduced to playing a mild-mannered timid bank clerk. I couldn't help noticing how Nicole looks absolutely gorgeous for a woman well into her thirties! As I've seen it twice it's lost it's edge, but I think it will provide some suitable twists for the first-time viewer. It's not earth-shattering stuff but it's well-played, and although there's not a Russian actor in sight the accents seem convincing. It's on a par with other recent successful British movies though I'm not sure what category it falls into - it's not really a comedy, nor a thriller. More an observational drama perhaps. It's nicely shot and there are some stalwarts of British TV providing small but amusing Cameos - Ben Miller, Alexander Armstrong, Sally Phillips.The French 'Russian' duo are fine characters and probably steal the show, with Vincent Cassel every inch the hard-edged, ruthless but charismatic villain. All in all a most enjoyable, gentle-paced and slightly off-beat movie that's worth a look.
uneven and odd
posted on 27 Apr 2008This little film frustrates me,yet at the same time compells me. It detracted me and also fascinated me. Nicole Kidman has the look of a Russian female albeit a hot one. The film seemingly wants to be an odd romantic comedy,but also wants to be a thriller and/or crime drama. It never decides and that's the ultimate problem that plagues it. The film is badly uneven and the characters just can't decide who they are. It's actually hard to make a connection to the film or care about the story because it doesn't appear that the creators want you to. At the same time,it's so quirky and odd I have a little fixation with it. I shook my head at it from time to time because I just couldn't figure out where it wanted to go. Well it's not a film that is too bad,but I think it fails at true entertainment and is too distant to grab the casual viewer. I had to constantly ask myself if I liked it or not. I'm still not altogether sure. ***/*****
A good wife. A good husband. An excellent film
posted on 07 Apr 2008Are you a giraffe?... ask John to Nadia, and she, sure of responding well, responds him: yes. In this way begin the communication between a man and a woman who don't know each other, and at the same time, the questions and doubts in "Birthday Girl". A film that i heard a lot of times, but i don't dare to see... until two hours of write this."Birthday Girl" is a passionate movie that makes me fall in count, at the same time, that Nicole Kidman is one of the best actress (Besides she is pretty and intelligent) that i have ever seen. "Birthday Girl" is the story of a lonely and routine man who looks for a wife at internet. The woman that he finds comes from Russia. She seems to be that delicate woman, normal, not more. One day, in her birthday comes suddenly, his cousin and his friend. The man, begin to discover certain things. Since here, he don't going to be the lonely and routine man that always have been.Much of us going to think that this movie is just a regular one with a exploited plot. Much of us going to think that the action and thrills are sure and don't novel. But "Birthday Girl" is just the opposite. This movie is full of good surprises, good performances and a imaginative plot that i had never seen and imagined. This romantic thriller with certain funny touch is an excellent natural film with a lot of proposes for the films of it kind. "Birthday Girl" have certain beauty and crudeness in its scenes, but at the same time, certain touching nature, and makes it so deeper."Birthday Girl" is sometimes sad, sometimes funny, sometimes violent, but at the end, is totally satisfactory. And I'm not sorry in say that this is a masterpiece.*Sorry for the mistakes...well, if there any.
Mother Tongue
posted on 28 Mar 2008If I rate a movie from 8 to 10 stars, it means I would go out of my way to see it again. If it is from 5 to 7 stars, I would be willing to see it again if I happen upon it and nothing better was on.And since I have registered with IMDB, I now watch a movie thinking in my mind how I would rate it. I originally was thinking of rating "Birthday Girl" with 8 stars but something was nagging in my mind. The language barrier plays an important factor in "Birthday Girl". How the barrier was handling both in the script and the casting changed my rating to 7 stars.
Regrettably, I resort to ****SPOILERS****to explain my reasoning.John is a lonely banker who orders a Russian mail bride played by Nicole Kidman. To John's great dismay, Sophia speaks no English. Of course we all know Ms. Kidman gained fame in Australia. Her Russian sounds fluent to this non-speaker but I recognize her as a speaker of English. When circumstances evolve later in the film where she utters some English, John is amazed. I don't know why, both the casting and the circumstances pointed to her knowing English.The story gets set in motion when two male friends of Sophia's crash into John's home on Sophia's birthday. One (Vincent Cassel) speaks no English, while the other (Mathieu Kassovitz) speaks it haltingly. I recognized both actors. I couldn't quite place them but I knew they weren't Russian. Again their Russian seemed good and Mnsr. Kassovitz' accent was convincing (so was his American accent in "The Fifth Element"). It was when I checked out IMDB that I discovered they were French.I truly like the movie as a drama but having no Russian actors kind of disappoints me. At least Ben Chaplin as John acts and is truly English. So his character's decision at the end of the movie was more daunting than happy.
This is not just another "heist" film
posted on 28 Aug 2009I also saw this film at the Toronto Film Festival and thoroughly enjoyed it. Nicole Kidman, as usual, did a superb job. She really CAN'T give a bad performance. I went to see this movie because of her. But Ben Chaplin really stole the show. He was utterly convincing as the doltish "loser" who believes there is nothing odd about trying to find nuptial bliss via a mail-order bride. I'd seen Chaplin in "Thin Red Line" and "The Truth About Cats and Dogs" and he was definitely gorgeous "hunk material" in each role. Here, he did put on a bit of weight (purposefully?) and this, together with a boyish stammer and a few round-eyed, vacant stares, contributes to his doltish air. Well done! I give this movie eight and a half stars out of ten. A refreshing change from all of the heist movies currently on the market and nicely open-ended. Ben and Nicole have good chemistry, especially towards the end. She is such a strong, powerful woman, that it takes someone like Ewan McGregor, with loads of charisma and self-confidence, to match her up on the big screen. Go see this one... loads of laughs and something to think about, too.