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Adequate and dependable bank clerk, John Buckinham (Ben Chaplin) lives such a humdrum and lonely
life that he decides to change this way of living through the internet.
On a site called "From Russia with Love" he chooses a face on one of the pictures. At the airport he meets the face in the photo, Nadia (Nicole Kidman), a stunning woman, his fiancée and bride-to-be, with whom he anticipates a lively communication and relationship. However, even while on their way to his apartment, he realizes with dismay, that she doesn't speak a word of English. Frantic, he calls "Russia with Love
" to take Nadia back, but the site does not respond.
Realizing John's intention, she makes love to him, like what she sees in his pile of porno magazines and tapes. He finds a way for them: by giving her a "Russian to English and English to Russian" dictionary. They struggle to get along. One day she manages to let him know it's her birthday. As they celebrate this, two men come barging in and Nadia greets them with enthusiasm. They are Yuri (Mathieu Kassovitz), her cousin and a friend-musician Alexei (Vincent Cassel), just arrived from Russia. They have come, not just to visit but to stay. When John realizes this, he insists that they leave. Suddenly, everything turns nasty, and life is never the same again for John.
Birthday Girl has
a simple plot with extended scenes. Several shots show the intent of the two strangers to make John another of their victims, and to what extent they intend to go to get
what they want from him.
Other shots depict John's growing realization that Nadia is in with the two guys, and his doubts about her intentions where he is concerned. The acting of Kidman and Chaplin are more than adequate, while Cassel and Kanovitz can pass for vicious but bumbling conmen.
It is difficult to find something of value to pass on to readers and potential viewers of
Birthday Girl, as all the characters are more negative than positive in their person and behavior. The violence and sex scenes project strongly on screen though
these last for a few seconds and do not go beyond the bounds into what is really indecent. What may be considered positive, loud and clear is what the movie shows one
shouldn't do.
The computer and internet shouldn't be used for evil purposes, as it is such a boon and asset for the world. Also, for something as important as finding a life partner, one should not use—of all things—the internet. One can never be sure who will take advantage on the other end, or who will answer the request for friendship and the desire for a life partner.
(Date reviewed: October 4, 2002)
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