How long can a woman grieve the husband who died prematurely? In fact, that question is posed by the writers of this intriguing film, but they never answer it, as they have left it to us, the viewing fans of "Birth", to reach our own conclusions. Our answer would be that Anna will love Sean forever!<br /><br />Jonathan Glazer, an amazing new talent, has followed his previous film, "Sexy Beast" with this new movie written for the screen by an impressive team, namely, Jean-Claude Carriere and Milo Addica, helped by the director himself.<br /><br />Much has been discussed in this site about the film, which makes a valid point into making us believe a young boy, who might, or not, be the real Sean, is the real thing, or just an opportunist, who happened to be at the right place, at the right time. Anna, the woman who suffered the great loss in her life fights the boy when he appears, then, as everything points into the right direction, or what she wants to believe, and she gets answers that have been inside her head all the time, she accepts as natural a situation that by all accounts if far from normal.<br /><br />Nicole Kidman, with dark short hair, gives a subtle performance as Anna. Ms. Kidman's contribution to the film is amazing; she goes from denial to a complete state of acceptance. There are moments when we, as the viewer, feel the pain Anna is feeling. Her sequence at the concert when we watch her face, as all the emotions are seen in her face, is one of her best moments in a film. Also the last sequence when we watch her at the beach, after she has married Joseph and is seen wandering in the water crying is another clue we get from her.<br /><br />Cameron Bright, the young actor, makes Sean comes to life, no pun intended. This young actor has an innate talent for getting inside the skin of the characters he is portraying. There is not a false move from the way this actor tackles to convey the idea he is Sean, and that's all there is to it!<br /><br />Anne Heche, as Clara, holds the key to solving the mystery of the situation the arrival of young Sean has created. The family is in turmoil. This well to do family, who is at odds, first believing, then seeing what it has gone to Anna. We don't see what Clara's role is in the story until the end. Her character has been made to seem ambiguous throughout the movie.<br /><br />Danny Huston, who we admired in his recent role in "The Constant Gardener", who plays Joseph, the man that has made Anna agree into marrying him. Joseph cannot deal with the changes Anna is going through, so he bolts from her life, as one expects him to do. It's bad enough to have been competing with the ghost of a dead former husband, but it's too much to have a ten year old rival.<br /><br />Laruen Bacall, Arliss Howard, Peter Stormore, and the others in the cast give good performances under Mr. Glazer's direction. <br /><br />The moody musical score by Alexandre Desplat is elegant, somber, and mysterious and sets a perfect mood for the film. The elegant cinematography by Harris Savides, with its dark tones and cloudy skies serves the film well. Ultimately, this film clearly shows us a director, Jonathan Glazer, who never bores the viewer in the always chooses the stories he wants to present for our pleasure.