geezer cinema/film fatales #163: catherine called birdy (lena dunham, 2022)

Watching Bella Ramsey on a weekly basis on The Last of Us has made me want to see more of her. So, Catherine Called Birdy, which I believe is Ramsey's first time "carrying" a movie (she is the title character). She shows her versatility as a 14-year-old in Lena Dunham's Medieval England world. Ramsey is the best thing about the movie, but she is not the only good thing. There is plenty of good acting, not just from Billie Piper and Andrew Scott as Birdy's parents, but also Lesley Sharp, Sophie Okonedo, David Bradley, and even Russell Brand in what amounts to a cameo. Dunham manages to recreate the times while fitting a modern-ish Birdy into the proceedings without making things into a modern coming-of-age story in costume.

Ramsey is a unique performer, intriguing ... she uses her eyes to suggest the intelligence behind her outward actions. She has fun with her role, and we root for her throughout. The film has won an award for Production Design (Kave Quinn), and while I don't really know what Medieval England looked like, everything seems pretty authentic (including the outhouses). Catherine Called Birdy is solid and enjoyable, and sometimes that's enough.

[Letterboxd list of Film Fatales movies]