Birth (2004, Jonathan Glazer) with Carlos Aguilar - Criterion Collection Spine #1298

"It captures an uncanny feeling that relates to grief, that there's something after, the hope we could get more time with someone we love."In this episode of Why This Film?, Film critic Carlos Aguilar joins me to explore Birth, Jonathan Glazer's 2004 psychological thriller and Criterion Collection Spine #1298.Birth follows Anna, a widow living a comfortable Manhattan life who has finally agreed to remarry, ten years after the sudden death of her husband Sean. Then a 10-year-old boy appears at her mother's birthday party claiming to be him. What follows is an unsettling exploration of grief, obsession, and the desperate ways we cling to those we've lost, asking whether the person we mourn is ever truly the person who died, or just the story we've constructed in their place.Carlos brings his perspective as a film critic, writer, and member of both the LA Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics. His work has appeared in The Wrap, Vulture, IndieWire, RogerEbert.com, and The Criterion Collection. He's a passionate advocate for representation and the cinematic legacy of Latin America, and his deep connection to the "mystery of the heart" in film makes him the perfect guide for Glazer's haunting formal precision.Together we move through the film scene by scene and discuss:How grief constructs the deadThe role class and wealth in Anna's griefNicole Kidman's devastating performance and why this remains one of her most daring rolesThe concert sceneWhether Anna ever truly completes the grieving processThe bathtub scene's reception in 2004What happens when we lose someone twiceWhether you're discovering Birth for the first time or returning to it, this conversation explores why a film initially dismissed and misunderstood has become recognized as one of the most essential meditations on grief in contemporary cinema.Send us Fan MailHollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the showFollow the Podcast:WhyThisFilm.comInstagramYouTube