"Birthday Girl" is like "Memento" all straightened out, with almost as many holes as "Big Sleep" and too light-hearted for true film noir.
The first part is a serviceable twisty ulterior-motives-waiting-to-be-revealed film, with a few up-to-date touches, from an e-mail order bride to manipulative uses of pornography, though it trails towards the end as the tone changes.
Nicole Kidman as the femme fatale is fun to watch as I don't think Meryl Streep has ever used her accent in this genre, or as sexily. Nice use of two hunky French actors who can't really speak English, this time as Russians (when will Russians stop being malevolent in movies?).
Ben Chaplin is cute as a geek who gets involved in a new angle of "From Russia With Love."
I suppose the only reason it was partly filmed in Sydney was so that Nicole could live at home.
The closing song is that duet by Nicole and Robbie Williams of "Something Stupid" that's been a big hit in Britain and actually works in context of the movie.
(originally written 2/3/2002)
The first part is a serviceable twisty ulterior-motives-waiting-to-be-revealed film, with a few up-to-date touches, from an e-mail order bride to manipulative uses of pornography, though it trails towards the end as the tone changes.
Nicole Kidman as the femme fatale is fun to watch as I don't think Meryl Streep has ever used her accent in this genre, or as sexily. Nice use of two hunky French actors who can't really speak English, this time as Russians (when will Russians stop being malevolent in movies?).
Ben Chaplin is cute as a geek who gets involved in a new angle of "From Russia With Love."
I suppose the only reason it was partly filmed in Sydney was so that Nicole could live at home.
The closing song is that duet by Nicole and Robbie Williams of "Something Stupid" that's been a big hit in Britain and actually works in context of the movie.
(originally written 2/3/2002)