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Lena Dunham , comfortably love for her work on HBO’sGirls , has made a career out of write comedies and womanhood graphic symbol who live in their own bubble . While still comedic , Catherine call Birdy , Dunham ’s fourth directorial feature and her second one this yearfollowingSharp Stick , goes in a different , more light - hearted counseling that is desirable for all ages , avoid Dunham ’s R - rated wittiness for a more watered down version of feminist themes .
Based on the 1994 novel by Karen Cushman , the film follows Lady Catherine ( Bella Ramsey ) , or “ Birdy ” as she ’s known by family and friends , in her endeavors to remain unmarried . The 14 - year - old lives a relatively charmed life — for whatever tempt is in medieval times . Mother Lady Aislinn ’s ( Billie Piper ) title gives Birdy perquisite others do n’t have , as well as wealth . The latter , however , becomes an issue after her father Lord Rollo ( Andrew Scott ) spends most of the kinfolk ’s riches buying things ( like LTTE ) just because he can . His answer is to marry Birdy off to any valet de chambre in the vicinity with the money to secure his category ’s future tense . course , Birdy is aloud oppose to this , and the rebellious , gratuitous - spirited adolescent must incur her way out of this arrangement at all costs .
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Catherine call Birdyis very much grounded in its trivial girl power radical , its feminism limited to the musical theme that Birdy should get to choose whomever she marries . It ’s a basic premiss , but it ’s one that play because its focus is on a teenage young woman dwell in chivalric times . Dunham , who also wrote the playscript , utilise deprecating humor and silly hijinks to avoid one from thinking too long about the fact that a 14 - class - old could ever be married to someone older than her own founder . It ’s this element that works in the film ’s party favour , and its Earth’s surface - level reading of Birdy is excusable when consider the film is likely aimed at a younger audience .
Birdy get to be annoying and frustrating , self - regard , and selfish . She ’s a adolescent who is trying to rule herself and her rebellious streak is warranted . The film ’s comedy work for the most part , specially at the beginning as Birdy , who narrates her own story , insert all the the great unwashed in her life ( and exactly how she feels about each one).Catherine Called Birdydoes , however , begin to trail off in the middle , getting a bit mislay in the repetition of Birdy destroy dinners and meetings with her suer . Dunham brings everything together in the end , though the cinema could have spent more time developing Birdy ’s relationship with her mother and brother , in special . This is where Birdy ’s ego - involvement becomes a hindrance to the narrative , but Bella Ramsey ’s performance is so charming and playfulness that one ca n’t withstand liking Birdy regardless . The supporting casting , including Joe Alwyn as Birdy ’s uncle George and Isis Hainsworth as her best friend Aelis , is also salutary despite sustain less to do work with .
The film ’s overall subject matter is cherubic . Birdy is so angry , frustrated , and scurvy that she often does n’t notice other people ’s spirit . She would like them to be just as fed up with everything as she is , but she starts to realize that they might not share the same sentiments — and that ’s ok . Birdy bring in that her own miserableness does n’t have to be share by others if they manage to observe happiness of their own . So while the film loses its way and stumbles in the second act , the ending pulls everything together quite neatly . Bolstered by a headstrong performance from Ramsey ( who is better know asLyanna Mormont fromGame of Thrones ) , alongside a fantastic support plaster cast , Catherine Called Birdywill be best enjoyed by a younger interview , though it ’s still fun enough for viewing audience of all ages .
Catherine holler Birdypremiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11 , 2022 . The film release in limited theaters September 23 and on Prime Video October 7 . It is 108 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for some significative material and thematic element .
Andrew Scott and Bella Ramsey in Catherine Called Birdy
Joe Alwyn and Bella Ramsey in Catherine Called Birdy
