Birth

Nicole kidman mesmerizes the audience in a 3-minute close-up where all that is seen is her changing expression from anger,disbelief, acceptance and ultimately grief. Birth is a story about love. Love that comes to people once in their lives and when this is lost, people cling on to it like a child desperate to see his/her toys at home on the first day of school. You just yearn to feel it one last time. Sometimes the grief that is reflected physically is not tantamount to the heavy burden one carries deep in his/her heart. It just gnaws on you and you are almost held captive to it. Birth is about Anna, a long-suffering widow who after ten years of grieving over her dead husband Sean finally manages to let go and is set to marry Joseph. Birth is about Sean, a ten-year old boy who breaks into Anna's life proclaiming that he is the reincarnated husband. The film is appropriately paced for its theme. All the actors do well particulary Kidman and the young boy who portrays Sean, Cameron Bright (he was seen in Godsend, i think.) To dwell on the story is to break the element of surprise the writer and director so skillfully injected into the film without actually letting the audience feel betrayed or anything. Anne Heche costars in a pivotal role and provides the truth near the end that is not entirely shocking nor surprising but is painfully heartbreaking.