The Birthday (2004/I)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Eugenio Mira

Writers:

Mikel Alvariño (writer)
Eugenio Mira (writer)

Release Date:

10 November 2006 (Spain)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The four of us ....Let's do it.

Plot:

Norman, a young man very much in love with his girlfriend, attends her father's birthday party, held in a hotel where a sect happens to be preparing for the birth of the god it worships. |

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Corey Feldman	...	Norman Forrester
Erica Prior	...	Alison Fulton
Jack Taylor	...	Ron Fulton
Dale Douma	...	Vincent Papahistros
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mikel Alvariño	...	Bass Player
Jim Arnold	...	Jonathan Beresford
Harry Arouh	...	Priest
Ana Lucía Billate	...	Anjelica Fulton
Tony Corvillo	...	Vincent's Friend
James DePaul	...	Tiny Ricky
Richard Felix	...	Theodore Burns
Sue Flack	...	Marion Beresford
Alison Hughes	...	Mrs. Emma Hamilton
Chen Min Rao Jang	...	Dr. John Ming O'Pie
Liz Lobato	...	Madeleine
Robert Long	...	Manager
Rolf Master	...	Bar Tender
Stuart McLauchlan	...	Suite Waiter
Rick Merrill	...	Casper Fulton
Inma Mira	...	Yulia
Colin Morgan	...	Killer Waiter
Carlos Navarro	...	Guitar Player
Bert Palmer	...	Nigel
Oliver Sala	...	Keyboards
Craig Stevenson	...	Waiter Z
Alejandro Tejerías	...	Elmer Brannigan

Runtime:

100 min | 95 min (original cut)

Country:

Spain

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Terrasa, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Arcadia Motion Pictures

Rosemarie's baby meets The Shinning meets The Royal Tenenmbaums.

I saw the movie at the SITGES FILM FESTIVAL 2004 in Spain (if you notice some noisy mistakes I really sorry… but I'm an Italian guy!!!) and I'm afraid this movie is not gonna be very successful at the box office… mainly because of his WILD NATURE!!!

I mean, I don't know how the guys who made such a THING like this are gonna sell it… but I'm afraid is not an easy task. THE BIRTHDAY is the kind of movie that you LOVE or you HATE!!! And that's great, from my point of view.

Leet's see. You can like it or not, but this movie is EVERYTHING but disappointing. You can't expect what's gonna happen, and I'm not talking about the plot… it's more about the APPROACHING. Actually, If you read the synopsis, you think you're gonna see a straight to video flick (specially when you discover that COREY FELDMAN is in it!!!) but, man… THE BIRTHDAY is a UNIQUE cinematic experience. I'm serious!!! I'm not a film geek!! It's incredible how fast you forget you're supposed to be seeing a "genre movie". The characters (Corey Feldman is GREAT in this one!!!), the length of the shots (the movie follows the real time policy), the sound design (oh my GOD!! You really have to HEAR the last 20 minutes of the movie!!)… everything is… different. Specially in the first half, where NOTHING IS WHAT YOU EXPECT. We exclusively see just what Corey's character sees but, besides that, we agree or not with his decisions. And that's the most exciting thing about this movie.

THE BIRTHDAY starts with a "PeterSelleresque" Corey that stumbles with everything and everybody he finds across his path… and at the end of the movie, he's a HERO. But you don't notice this evolution. It's like when you're living with your parents at home for years: you don't realize they are getting older until you take a look to some pictures of the family album … because you've been growing with them. That's the magic of this movie, from my point of view. The real time policy never goes against the movie. Man, we all spend a lot of time watching BIG BROTHER on TV… and I can assure you that THE BIRTHDAY delivers a more… intense and thought provoking experience, at least.

I must say that sometimes is hard to follow, and I understand that some people get lost, specially with the speed the different dramatic tones change. Sometimes you think you are seeing a black comedy… some other times you'd swear Corey Feldman is the guest star in a TWIN PEAKS episode… and some other times it smells like a JOHN CARPENTER movie!!! It's weird… and exhausting. The atmosphere of the movie owes his flavor to David Lynch (The girl in the movie has a lot to do with Laura Palmer), the Coen Brothers (It's easy to think in BARTON FINK'S hotel) and, Paul Thomas Anderson (specially PUNCH DRUNK LOVE, with a very similar main character).

I think I have a better example: The best and the worst you can say about this movie is that it could be a Brian De Palma movie, with outstanding scenes driven by a "bigger than life" cinematic passion… but weirdly disturbing as a whole. RAISING CAIN, SNAKE EYES & FEMME FATALE are good examples. That kind of De Palma movie, where the director explores his obsessions with TOO MUCH passion… forgetting he has to deliver a "movie". A good one. But I'd never say THE BIRTHDAY is not a good movie… it's a TERRIFIC experience. My opinion.

Well, I don't know what to say. There's something about this movie, no doubt about it. I don't know what's gonna happen, but I hope to see this one in a big screen soon. Happy Birthday!!!