Catherine Called Birdy

Lena Dunham adapts Karen Cushman’s fractured fairy tale about a 14-year-old girl in medieval England trying to drive away the suitors her father fixes her up with. Bella Ramsey is delightful in the title role, and Dunham keeps everything floating along nicely. While this is nowhere as sharp as the hilariously anachronistic and R-rated medieval satire like The Little Hours (2017), it's aimed at an entirely different audience. Like so many younger folk's book adaptations, the film relies heavily on voice-over to tell its story, make its points, and convey much of the humor. However, in this case, that feels more than appropriate. This is a rare contemporary live-action film aimed at younger folks that's free of condescension and not desperate to be loved. It's cheeky without being snarky.