Birds of Paradise

Name: Birds of Paradise
Genre: Drama
Released: September 24, 2021
Duration: 113 min
Rating: 57
Cast: Alice Dardenne, Caroline Goodall, Daniel Camargo, Diana Silvers, Eva Lomby

2021

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Ratings

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4.7

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4.7	Your Score
4.7	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Ratings

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Birds Of Paradise

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Movie Details & Credits

Amazon Studios | Release Date (Streaming): September 24, 2021 | R

Starring: Alice Dardenne, Caroline Goodall, Daniel Camargo, Diana Silvers, Eva Lomby, Hélène Cardona, Jacqueline Bisset, Jeremy Wheeler, Kristine Froseth, Nassim Si Ahmed, Roger Barclay, Stav Strashko

Summary: Kate Sanders is an ambitious and gifted, if tomboyish, aspiring ballerina from Virginia who, because of her low-income status, is given a scholarship to attend a prestigious ballet school in Paris, France. Upon arriving at the cutthroat, internationally-renowned institution, her confidence and emotional fortitude are tested by a beautiful,Kate Sanders is an ambitious and gifted, if tomboyish, aspiring ballerina from Virginia who, because of her low-income status, is given a scholarship to attend a prestigious ballet school in Paris, France. Upon arriving at the cutthroat, internationally-renowned institution, her confidence and emotional fortitude are tested by a beautiful, mysterious fellow dancer, Marine Durand, who recently lost her brother (and dance partner) to suicide. While confrontational at first, Kate and Marine’s relationship evolves into an emotionally-charged, competitive union beset by lies, sexual awakening and, ultimately, emotional breakthrough as they risk everything to win the school’s ultimate prize: a contract to join the Opéra national de Paris.… Expand

Director: Sarah Adina Smith

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 113 min

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Critic Reviews

Tomris Laffly

Sep 23, 2021

As Birds of Paradise reveals its (admittedly predictable) secrets one by one, it does so with style and a merited sense of confidence so assertively that even the biggest skeptics of the genre might pause before dismissing it as just another slight YA entry. Read full review

IndieWire David Ehrlich

Sep 23, 2021

Whatever compromises were required of Smith, she holds fast to the soul of a movie that ultimately cares less about how high Kate and Marine can fly than it does the exotic truths they might only be able to learn as they fall. Read full review

Katie Walsh

Sep 23, 2021

Seth’s cinematography is stunning, meeting the mood of each contrasting moment but set within a cohesive look that gives the film a dreamy, unreal quality. Read full review

The Guardian Adrian Horton

Sep 24, 2021

Birds of Paradise, then, settles into a weird, slightly unsettling middle-ground – beautiful yet hollow, intriguing yet distanced, skillfully performed without much of a beating heart. Like its principal dancers, its a portrait of contrasts, though the friction here doesn’t generate much heat. Read full review

Robyn Bahr

Sep 27, 2021

Shaheen Seth’s libidinous, compelling cinematography beautifully complements Nora Takacs Ekberg’s lush “haunted dollhouse” production design. But while Birds of Paradise is a worthy sensory experience, the visual and aural pleasures are not enough to sustain the tension. Read full review

Jeannette Catsoulis

Sep 23, 2021

Structured around a countdown to the ultimate prize, the story is a soapy slog of sabotage and betrayal. Sex and drugs are as prevalent as pliés, the absence of a likable character as irksome as the constant conniving. Read full review

Derek Smith

Sep 22, 2021

Birds of Paradise lacks the nuance and finesse needed for its story to really take flight. Read full review

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User Reviews

JLuis_001

Oct 18, 2021

Birds of Paradise clearly tries to show that it's a nuanced, fine and elegant story about betrayal, pressure, and boicot, in race for a position to be the best.

And all that's fine, if only this pretentious film really had that elegance, nuance and finesse. The true merits stand out in theBirds of Paradise clearly tries to show that it's a nuanced, fine and elegant story about betrayal, pressure, and boicot, in race for a position to be the best.

And all that's fine, if only this pretentious film really had that elegance, nuance and finesse.

The true merits stand out in the quality of its production and because it looks quite good, but that's pretty much it, so this thriller/drama gets stuck and never takes off.

Nothing worth mentioning, but I found it a lot better than The Voyeurs.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

nonamereview

Sep 27, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Birds of paradise- a new R rated movie. As practice shows- the R movie is or best (Kingsman franchise or fight club for example) or worst like Moonlight. Unfortunately, Birds of paradise is a classic cliched story that may find fans in future, so 4 out of 10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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