Birthday (2009)
Strong coarse language, sex scenes, nudity and drug use
| Director: | James Harkness |
| Actors: | Natalie Eleftheriadis, Kestie Morassi, Richard Wilson, Travis Mcmahon, Chantal Contouri, Vicki Mueller, Ra Chapman |
M is the highest paid professional of the many girls at Scarlet's, but, even on her 25th birthday, it's business as usual. M's trade is sex, but sex doesn't sell the way it used to; what clients are searching for, paying for... is love. Instead of celebrating, her day is spent answering the silent prayers of Father Phillip, who has lost his faith and providing counsel to her colleagues, the vivacious Lily and troubled Cindy. Amidst the many dramas that unfold and the demands of the no-nonsense Scarlet, M's secret birthday wish goes unanswered. That is, until Joey knocks on her door; a young man, forgotten by the world, who has never learned to love, or even how to kiss. But Joey also has a secret. It's his birthday too, and today M may just discover that even the smallest, most unexpected wish can come true. Birthday encompasses lost love, first times, humanity and the discovery of intimacy in surprising and unexpected places.
| Status: | QuickPick |
|---|---|
| Run time: | 100mins |
| Origin: | AUSTRALIA |
| Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 |
I'll cry if I want to
by Simon Miraudo, 25/08/2011 9:57:00 AM
What is it with Australian filmmakers and the sex trade? This year alone, we’ve seen the inert and impenetrable Sleeping Beauty, the rollicking genre flick X, and now, we have James Harkness’ adaptation of his controversial stage play of the same name, Birthday. It wouldn’t even be accurate to call 2011 a particularly sex-mad year; take a cursory glimpse at the past decade in local film and television and you’ll notice a fair few examples throughout. Although we can’t explain Aussie writers and directors’ predilection for prostitution-centric projects, we can consider how each portrays the industry. Sleeping Beauty offered us a puzzling glimpse at a self-destructive and alienating girl who subjected herself to unspeakable abuse for money. And in X, a high-end call girl and a teenage street...
What is it with Australian filmmakers and the sex trade? This year alone, we’ve seen the inert and impenetrable Sleeping Beauty, the rollicking genre flick X, and now, we have James Harkness’ adaptation of his controversial stage play of the same name, Birthday. It wouldn’t even be accurate to call 2011 a particularly sex-mad year; take a cursory glimpse at the past decade in local film and television and you’ll notice a fair few examples throughout. Although we can’t explain Aussie writers and directors’ predilection for prostitution-centric projects, we can consider how each portrays the industry. Sleeping Beauty offered us a puzzling glimpse at a self-destructive and alienating girl who subjected herself to unspeakable abuse for money. And in X, a high-end call girl and a teenage streetwalker team up in a futile attempt to escape a world that would make the bowels of hell seem a lovely holiday destination by comparison.
Birthday takes the audience on no such nightmarish trip. In it, we spend one day with bday girl and prostitute M (Natalie Eleftheriadis), her colleagues Lily (Kestie Morassi) and Cindy (Ra Chapman), as well as a couple of her despairing, lovelorn clients, Father Phillip (Travis McMahon) and Joey (Richard Wilson). All five characters are caught in something of a downward spiral; their only respite coming from conversations shared with one another at Madam Scarlet’s (Chantal Countouri) brothel. Despite writer/director Harkness’ fondness for curse words, the interactions are overwhelmingly earnest and sweet, and reveal that all anyone really needs is love (religion, meanwhile, is revealed to be something of a poisoned chalice). These revelations flirt dangerously close to being cloying and trite, but the cast – specifically the trio of lead actresses – make it work. Wilson, as the ultra-nervy and constantly-throat-clearing Joey, is a little too fidgety and mannered, but he manages to rein it in during his climactic – and truly affecting – final scene with Eleftheriadis. There are a couple of questionable directorial choices (notably the odd, ghost-like fading-out of characters within a scene), and the script feels a little overwritten at times (a pitfall for any stage-to-screen transition), but ultimately Birthday is a nicely performed drama that offers a genuinely fresh take on a tired subject.
3/5
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Member Reviews (6)
6 Member
Reviews
NOT BAD
says
Australian film based on a theatre play. If you like theatre then perhaps you will like this film.
I disagree with the reviewers giving it only one star, it is not that bad. Several characters are quite likeable in this film. The décor of the brother is warm/tasteful, plus good looking ladies, of course. Yes, it is quite "humanistic" perhaps even going into "moralizing" teritory, a bit too much talking about religion and God, for my taste. But overall quite watch-able.
says
Worst acting I've seen in awhile. Terrible, meaningless script. Looked like a first year uni student film. BBBBBBBAAAAADDDDD
veganUP
says
Not too bad for an aussie flick. A bit slow, but some almost genuine moments towards the end. Watchable, and I have certainly seen worse.
Polley
says
sorry but this was a shocker, do not waste your time
says
This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen - and I'm one of the most easily entertained people on the planet. The acting is shocking, the lead female simply awful and the script (despite trying its hardest to be controversial and "shocking") is laughable at best and boring at worst. When you watch the credits and see the "Eleftheriadis family affair" that was this movie (ie no decisions made on merit), it all starts to make sense... it's about as sexy and engaging as crushed moth.
Melzy
says
ONE WORD....... RANDOM! ... ummm not for kiddies ... bit of a weird plot, seems to have been made in aus ... so very loose everything really! lol