A tender film with lots of wit and clever humor that will surely be a hit with audiences everywhere at home.
Lena Dunham is a controversial Hollywood figure to say the least. She seems to always say the wrong thing at the worst possible time, but nonetheless, she has directed a beautiful film about youth and innocence. Catherine Called Birdy is a great film from the perspective of a 14-year-old during the 13th century. A fresh Amazon Prime October release, this is a film you won’t want to miss out on for more than one reason.
A Positively-Received Story
Lady Catherine, or “Birdy” as she’s referred to in the film, is a young girl going through the trouble of existing during a very difficult time in humanity’s history. This coming-of-age story is unlike most others. The interpersonal relationships are key to the story. Obviously, the original writer, Karen Cushman, of the 1994 novel is the one to thank for coming up with this story first.
One thing’s for sure though, Lena Dunham does a surprisingly great job behind the camera. The great talent on the screen also helps as well naturally. Names like Andrew Scott, Bella Ramsey, Joe Alwyn, and Lesley Sharp, are essential to the film working as well as it does. They all have specific roles that stand out in their own special ways. Everybody gets enough screen time to be able to shine at different points during the 108-minute runtime.
Critics have received Catherine Called Birdy quite positively. There’s no denying it’s quite a heartfelt film with lots of good messages that will leave you feeling exhilarated by the end. The film debuted with an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 75/100 on Metacritic. The full audience reception will become clearer and clearer as time moves on and the bigger picture is revealed, but as of now, the general reception is undoubtedly good.
One of the best aspects of the film is how fresh it feels despite it being set in a time period far gone. The religious aspects, the family relationship exploration, the confusing feelings of a teenager growing during a horrible time, it all comes together perfectly. There’s no denying that by the end of the year this will be a contender for many prestigious film awards. No reason for Catherine Called Birdy to be forgotten about. Hopefully people will watch it now that it’s available to stream on Prime Video, and show the producers that these stories deserve to be portrayed. It’s not just about big-budgeted films dominated both big and small screens anymore.
No matter what your opinion on Lena Dunham is, the film stands on its own as a good piece of art. A lot is offered in terms of a story that audiences can chew on even after some time having watched the film. It’s good food for thought while also being a very funny and good-hearted comedy. There really is something for everyone here. The acting is top-tier, and in particular those Last of Us fans who had doubts about Bella Ramsey being able to portray Ellie in the new show, this film serves as a reminder of her amazing acting skills. A good story that teaches you things while making you laugh but also never coming off as preachy.
If you have a Prime subscription go watch it as soon as possible and support these small budget films with good stories.
Photo: AMAZON PRIME
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