Birth (2004)

Ten years after her husband's death, a widow (Nicole Kidman) is set to remarry her longtime companion (Danny Huston). But when a 10 year old boy (Cameron Bright) pushes his way into her life claiming he is the reincarnation of her deceased husband, she slowly begins to unravel. Is he a fraud or is he indeed her late husband reincarnated. Directed by Jonathan Glazer (SEXY BEAST), this unique drama polarized both audiences and critics. I'm not on the fence about BIRTH, I love it! Most of the film's naysayers were uncomfortable with the sexual aspects of the story of a grown woman and a 10 year old boy. It is discomforting, how could it not be? But Kidman's character is so obsessed with love for her dead husband that it makes her unstable. Some felt the film's ending was a cop out but I was perfectly fine with its logic over supernaturalism. Kidman is fantastic especially during her tour de force scene at a concert where she's shot in closeup with no dialogue for several minutes as we read her face. I wish a stronger child actor than Bright was cast. As it is, he often seems to be reading lines rather than comprehending what he is saying. The superb score is by Alexandre Desplat. With Lauren Bacall, Anne Heche, Arliss Howard, Zoe Caldwell, Peter Stormare, Ted Levin, Cara Seymour and Alison Elliott.