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That Obscure Object of Desire

by yon motskin

Downplaying its high-concept premise and playing up its mysterious ambiguity, Birth goes beyond its excellent script to channel the not-dead-yet ghosts of Ingmar Bergman and Rosemary's Baby.

Birth

Jean-Claude Carrière, Milo Addica, Jonathan Glazer (also directed)

Ten years ago, Anna (Nicole Kidman) lost a husband, Sean, a man of science, who died while jogging in Central Park. Now, on the verge of marrying a new man named Joseph (Danny Huston), Anna meets a ten-year old boy (Cameron Bright) who not only claims to be Sean, but also doesn't want her to marry Joseph. As the young boy calmly enters the lives and homes of this intelligent, disbelieving Upper West Side circle of family and friends -- which includes her mother (Lauren Bacall), her pregnant sister (Alison Elliot), her brother-in-law Bob (Arliss Howard), and old friends Clifford (Peter Stormare) and Clara (Anne Heche) -- Anna begins to fall in love with the boy, who may or not be a reincarnation of her late husband.

Among the many films Jean-Claude Carriere has written, his collaboration with Spanish master Luis Buñuel stands out. And his influence here does not go unnoticed; in fact, watching this film, you get that same muted electricity that runs up your body when you watch, say, That Obscure Object of Desire or The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie -- wealthy people dealing with repressed emotions and absurd situations -- and damn if it doesn't feel good. Of course, Oscar winners Milo Addica and Jonathan Glazer (who also directed) are no slouches themselves.

The icy thaw of Birth's script translates well without losing any of its spare, deliberate, or haunting qualities. It's clear that the director knew every subtle nuance of the script. Some very long takes, like an extraordinary, heartbreaking closeup of Nicole Kidman that stays on her face for what seems like eternity, are marvels of a director's understanding the nuances of a script. If that long take had been anywhere else, it would've been indulgent; but seen at the crucial point -- when Sean first returned to Anna -- it is appropriate.

Each character's motivations and allegiances are immediately evident without unnecessary exposition. The minimal dialogue makes it seem like each character has a backstory richer than a Saudi oil sheik. These characters are living their own life when Sean interrupts it, and bits and pieces of scenes come in late and leave early -- Joseph hunting for an apartment, Anna's mother birthday party, Clifford's friendship with the late Sean -- leaving the audience wanting more (in a good way).

Unlike a more conventional film that would feel the need to justify the boy's presence by a supernatural, scientific, or criminal motivation, this story does not. Without giving it away, the ending was changed from the script, and for the better. In the script, things tied up and apologies were made. The film version was changed to be more ambiguous, cinematic, and terribly (but appropriately) sad. All I'll say is that the key narrative questions -- Is the boy really Sean? Does Anna love the boy? Does Anna marry Joseph? -- will remain with you, like the film itself, for a very long time afterward.

As writer Patrick Marber said, "This is a drama. And in drama, it's not necessary to see the light."

Ambiguous and heartbreaking, Birth's spooky script gives each actor a complex character to play and the director a muted palate of emotion to shoot.

Birth
New Line Cinema
Rated R; 100 min.

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Writer-director Yon Motskin is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Film Program. He is currently preparing to shoot his first feature film, Cutman, based on his award-winning short that premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and screened worldwide.

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