Birth

By sheer luck, I stumbled across the movie Birth this past weekend. Starring Nicole Kidman, the movie is a fascinating story about a ten year old boy who arrives at Kidman's door claiming to be the reincarnation of her deceased husband (who died ten years earlier). A spiraling mystery unfolds, with Kidman sliding deeper into mental disarray, much to the chagrin of her family and fiance.

The story and screenplay are enough to carry the movie, but what makes Birth truly remarkable is the direction and cinematography. To call it "Kubrickian" would be an understatement. The pace is deliberately slow, meditative, with lots of long, passive camera shots that suspend the viewer in mid-air. A glowing, ethereal light, similar to some of Kubrick's movies, seems to coat everything. The music is strikingly good, and Kidman's acting is quite possibly the best of any movie I've seen her in.

Birth is a fascinating descent into the turmoil of unrequited love and grief, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Definitely worth checking out. Check out the trailer here.