Birthday Girl

John is a quiet, cautious banker who has never had much luck in love. After watching romance pass him by, he tries a new route by signing onto an online service that matches men with Russian brides. He meets Nadia, and her warmth and wit quickly pull him off his carefully guarded footing. The weeks that follow feel like a bright break from his routine, until Nadia arrives with her extended family, turning a hopeful courtship into a chaotic scene filled with questions and danger. As the situation grows more tangled, John finds himself negotiating intimacy, trust and risk in a world where appearances can mislead and intentions are not always clear. Humor appears, yet a shadow lingers over questions.

Production and release: the film was directed by Jez Butterworth and released in 2001. It stems from an original screenplay credited to Butterworth and Tom Butterworth, with Nicole Kidman portraying Nadia and her other persona. The movie sits at the cross of comedy and crime, pairing glossy urban romance with a sharp sense of danger.

Box office: The movie earned about 16,171,098 worldwide on a 13 million dollar budget, signaling a modest return rather than a blockbuster. It discovered its audience through a limited release and subsequent home video.

Cultural impact: Birthday Girl has a small but persistent niche following among fans of offbeat thrillers. Kidman's performance and the film's unusual tonal blend are often cited by enthusiasts as its standout traits, even as the title remains something of a curiosity.

Reception and themes: The film mixes comedy with crime and tension, creating a vibe that plays with romance, risk and deception. The online matchmaking premise lets it question what we expect from love and how easily fantasy can distort reality. It asks whether trust can survive when uncertainty and danger interrupt the courting process and when people hide parts of themselves behind carefully crafted selves.