Review of Birth (2004) by Adam S — 03 Jan 2008

I was expecting a narrative "Un chien andalou" and got a shaggy dog. Glazer's attempt at Kubrickian stillness is admirable, but he can't (or won't) infuse his ploy with soul: it's the conceit of a stylist, a cynical "mood piece".

Much has been made about how the film is a "serious" examination of a preposterous premise, but in my opinion Kidman falls for it far too easily, and the resolution is convenient and cowardly: a big shrug and a "so it goes".