In their latest piece for L.A. Weekly, movie reviewer Chad Byrnes shares their thoughts on Catherine Called Birdy, Lena Dunham’s new PG-13 John Hughes-inspired comedy, set in the Middle Ages. With feminist throughout and a comic, Monty Python-esque undertone, the film is adapted from from Karen Cushman’s 1994 children’s novel of the same name, and follows 14-year-old Catherine (Bella Ramsey), otherwise known as Birdy due to her winged pets.
“Dunham establishes a playful tone for a movie that feels like Clueless by way of Excalibur; electropop versions of songs by Mazzy Star and Rod Stewart play as the camera swooshes through mud-caked villages and dank castles,” writes Byrnes. “Birdy’s narration is quick-witted and sporadic as she introduces us to her family, servants, and friends, all of whom have title cards which list their virtues and iniquities. Sadly, these captions lose their charm quickly, as do a lot of stylistic choices in this movie.”
Read the full article on LAWeekly.com here.
