Seeking out the

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Catherine Called Birdy

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Directed by Lena Dunham
Produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lena Dunham, and Jo Wallett
Screenplay by Lena Dunham Based on the book by Karen Cushman
With: 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, and Ralph Ineson
Cinematography: Laurie Rose
Editing: Joe Klotz
Music: Carter Burwell
Runtime: 108 min
Release Date: 07 October 2022
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1
Color: Color
Lena Dunham adapts Karen Cushman’s fractured fairy tale about a 14-year-old girl in medieval England trying to drive away the suitors her father fixes her up with. Bella Ramsey is delightful in the title role, and Dunham keeps everything floating along nicely. While this is nowhere as sharp as the hilariously anachronistic and R-rated medieval satire like The Little Hours (2017), it's aimed at an entirely different audience. Like so many younger folk's book adaptations, the film relies heavily on voice-over to tell its story, make its points, and convey much of the humor. However, in this case, that feels more than appropriate. This is a rare contemporary live-action film aimed at younger folks that's free of condescension and not desperate to be loved. It's cheeky without being snarky.