A Spanish produced English language movie filmed in a Baltimore hotel set created in Barcelona, there is nothing conventional about extraordinary film The Birthday directed by Eugenio Mira and staring Corey Feldman.
Norman goes to meet his girlfriends parents for the first time at her father's birthday party, finding out only after he arrives that nobody other than his sweetheart Alison is expecting him, on top of which there are some very strange goings on indeed with the waiting staff and another party of Norman's old school pal that's going on upstairs.
Norman is forced to choose between being a bystander or a hero as he tries to impress Alison's parents, find time to give her a present to confirm their commitment and prevent the birth of a cult God.
While the premise is great the storyline of The Birthday is frustratingly hard to make sense of or understand and to some extent it lacks a satisfying conclusion but there are so many great things about this film that it's hard to be upset by that fact.
Shot beautifully in a purpose built stylistically designed and moodily lit set, we got to experience the full depth of colours as the festival screened the original 35mm print rather than a digital copy. The film plays out in real time as we follow Norman about the hotel, witnessing events unfold peripherally as he does and the technique works brilliantly putting the viewer right in there in the midst of the discoveries in a very experiential way.
Corey Feldman is wonderful as Norman creating a surreal character who becomes more and more believable within the escalating bizarreness of events. It takes a lot of craft to pull that off as an actor and Corey flawlessly inhabits his character's skin. The sound design was particularly stunning and affecting too and that alone is worth the trip to the cinema.
Corey Feldman was there at the screening I saw at the Raindance Film Festival 2008. He gave a long talk and Q&A earlier in the day about his extensive film career and growing up as one of the most well known faces of the 80's and he talked before and stayed after the film screening to answer questions about it and meet those who came to see it. Director Eugenio Mira was also there talking enthusiastically about his aims and process in making this film happen and his ongoing push to get it seen as widely as possible. I can see why these guys are so warm and enthusiastic about their film and so appreciative of the people who came to see it. Few first time indie film debuts stretch these kinds of film-making boundaries and The Birthday, though it doesn't hit all marks, is certainly worth experiencing and enjoying for the very fun and unique premise and piece of film-making that it is.
Norman goes to meet his girlfriends parents for the first time at her father's birthday party, finding out only after he arrives that nobody other than his sweetheart Alison is expecting him, on top of which there are some very strange goings on indeed with the waiting staff and another party of Norman's old school pal that's going on upstairs.
Norman is forced to choose between being a bystander or a hero as he tries to impress Alison's parents, find time to give her a present to confirm their commitment and prevent the birth of a cult God.
While the premise is great the storyline of The Birthday is frustratingly hard to make sense of or understand and to some extent it lacks a satisfying conclusion but there are so many great things about this film that it's hard to be upset by that fact.
Shot beautifully in a purpose built stylistically designed and moodily lit set, we got to experience the full depth of colours as the festival screened the original 35mm print rather than a digital copy. The film plays out in real time as we follow Norman about the hotel, witnessing events unfold peripherally as he does and the technique works brilliantly putting the viewer right in there in the midst of the discoveries in a very experiential way.
Corey Feldman is wonderful as Norman creating a surreal character who becomes more and more believable within the escalating bizarreness of events. It takes a lot of craft to pull that off as an actor and Corey flawlessly inhabits his character's skin. The sound design was particularly stunning and affecting too and that alone is worth the trip to the cinema.
Corey Feldman was there at the screening I saw at the Raindance Film Festival 2008. He gave a long talk and Q&A earlier in the day about his extensive film career and growing up as one of the most well known faces of the 80's and he talked before and stayed after the film screening to answer questions about it and meet those who came to see it. Director Eugenio Mira was also there talking enthusiastically about his aims and process in making this film happen and his ongoing push to get it seen as widely as possible. I can see why these guys are so warm and enthusiastic about their film and so appreciative of the people who came to see it. Few first time indie film debuts stretch these kinds of film-making boundaries and The Birthday, though it doesn't hit all marks, is certainly worth experiencing and enjoying for the very fun and unique premise and piece of film-making that it is.