Catherine Called Birdy

Catherine Called Birdy

A teenage girl in Medieval England navigates life and tries to avoid the arranged marriages her father maps out for her.

  • Released: 2022-09-23
  • Runtime: 108 minutes
  • Genre: Adventure, Comedy
  • Stars: Bella Ramsey, Billie Piper, Andrew Scott, Lesley Sharp, Joe Alwyn, Sophie Okonedo, Paul Kaye, Dean-Charles Chapman, Isis Hainsworth, Archie Renaux, Michael Woolfitt, David Bradley, Mimi Ndiweni, Ralph Ineson, Rita Bernard-Shaw, Jake Middleton Cooke, Adam Aziz, Saskia Chana, Jamie Demetriou, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Russell Brand, Christophe Tek, Angus Wright, Jacob Avery, Douggie McMeekin, Lawrence Hodgson-Mullings, Bola Latunji, Jessica Ellis, Jordan Adene, Tyler Howitt, Jeffery Kissoon, Moya Brady, Ramesh Nair, Antony Bunsee, Tim Bevan, Colin Murtagh, Volenté Lloyd, Trevor Jones, Chris Ecob
  • Director: Lena Dunham
 Comments
  • jones-han - 29 March 2023
    Moments of humour, but overall tedious
    From the previews this looked mildly funny. It was quite a drag, though. I found the movie excruciatingly tedious. Very slow moving. I found myself constantly checking to see how much time was left. I found myself not really caring about any of the characters. I liked that "Birdy" was depicting a strong female character in a very male-dominated world. I feel like it could have been a good movie, if only it didn't drag on so slowly.

    I did stick with it and watched the whole thing. It was more watchable than other movies I've watched, so gave it a 5, but it's a low 5. The acting wasn't terrible. I just feel like it could have all been condensed into a 45 minute movie.
  • ginasharp - 28 January 2023
    I ADORED this movie!
    This was so endearing, touching, funny and heart-warming! I went in to this movie knowing I love "period" movies, I just love this era, but also thinking it may be just an okay movie because it was about a "kid". I was so pleasingly surprised. Yes, it is about a young girl but she is adorable, quirky and funny and wants so much more for her life. I found my self just loving her and her wit, also rooting for her along her journey. Also, the family dynamic is so good! The parents love for each other - aaaahhhh, so nice to watch and her relationship with them was so fun and adoring to watch. Also, the movie is very clean as far as un-necessary sexual scenes / crude lines / violence - so refreshing. Just a fun ride, this movie. In my opinion, a don't MISS!
  • iruneatpizza - 2 December 2022
    Kicking and Screaming: Catherine Called Birdy
    I dragged myself through the first third of Lena Dunham's Independent Spirit Award nominated Screenplay Catherine Called Birdy. I loved Girls up until the last season and have either loved or hated Dunham's antics over the years. Odd upbringings make for creative geniuses (Safdies, Robert Downey Jr) and Dunham (psychiatrist and artists as parents) is a perfect example.

    What I hated about the first third of the film is the cliche, rebellious coming of age girl and the hard to understand 78 rpm British dialect.

    What I appreciated about the screenplay was the original conceit (girl from the medieval age tries to maintain her freedom) and Dunham's signature quirky, clever dark humor.

    Performances that stood out were: Bella Ramsey as the lead, whip smart and unafraid to be a geek (a Lena Dunham lookalike, too), Billie Piper as her mother, and OMG, how did I not know who he was last night?... Andrew Scott, the love of my life-minister from Fleabag!!!- wonderful here as Catherine's father.

    The arc of the story is quite satisfying as well as the fun modern soundtrack. However, up against the other Independent Spirit Award contenders, I'd vote for After Yang or Tar for best screenplay due to their more complex concepts.
  • S3pt3m63r - 24 October 2022
    Full of historical inaccuracies
    For a drama putting itself as being "medieval ", it's full of historical inaccuracies, ie knickers, which weren't invented until much later, and fully bound modern books and stationary which quite frankly look ridiculous in this setting. The whole look of the film is too modern in its tone, texture and how it makes use of language, not so much as what is being said but how it's said. Certain casualness with the relationships between characters is too modern and the interplay between the characters is annoying. It tries to make an attempt at being medieval in tone, almost ignorant of how the way the world works, but there was some learning going on. Young people wouldn't have been allowed to have had extended childhoods and would be expected to enter the adult world earlier than now. That wouldn't have made for an entertaining film perhaps but would have been more historically accurate.

    I had to give up watching this as the annoying characters and inaccuracies overshadowed any expectations I had of finishing the film.
  • dessi_jessi - 18 October 2022
    Offensive to Christians!
    Not suitable for Christians, the script contains blasphemy! The film is supposed to be funny and refreshing, but instead it's an insult to Christians!

    I started watching it enthusiastically as I love a funny movie, and was deeply disappointed!

    Note for filmmakers and scriptwriters: do not disrespect the faith of people by making jokes related to it! This is outrageous!

    It seems that more and more new productions have no value to offer to the viewer.

    Entertainment is suppose to entertain people and not put them off the art of films. It appears as though filmmakers in the present day have nothing to offer anymore!