“The Birthday Party” follows Marcos Timoleon, a wealthy Greek businessman whose power is jeopardized after unforeseen events unfold at his daughter’s 25th birthday party on his private island. It’s based on a 2007 novel of the same name by Panos Karnezis.
Willem Dafoe (Marcos) has been in a lot of movies. A few are classics. Many are good. And arguably, even more are bad. What’s not arguable, however, is that he is often one of the most noteworthy aspects of each one. That’s no different in “The Birthday Party.” When the focus is on Dafoe, there is an electric energy that none of the other actors are able to replicate. He does a little bit of everything here, including karaoke and dancing on top of lengthy monologues. It’s easy to believe that he is an influential tycoon just because of the gravitas that radiates from every word.
Also appearing are Emma Suárez (Olivia), Joe Cole (Ian Forster) and Vic Carmen Sonne (Sofia). While none of these performances are “bad,” the actors don’t have a lot to work with because of the screenplay. “The Birthday Party” is full of characters with various backstories and agendas, but virtually none of the personalities are given enough time to fully translate onscreen. This makes it unsurprising that the film is written by a committee (Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Giorgos Karnavas and Nikos Panayotopoulos).
The biggest fault is a simple one: it’s boring. Scenes come and go without further developing the story. On top of the incomplete individuals is a plethora of ideas that remain just that — ideas, with jumbled plot points failing to come together. Jiménez, who also serves as director, slugs through the events without ever building on them. Absent any urgency, the 103-minute runtime feels overlong, with many unnecessary scenes that detract rather than supplement the central premise. By the time it comes to an end, viewers may be left wondering what the point even was.
“The Birthday Party” does have a rich aesthetic. With a lively party at the center, production designer Myrte Beltman gives the private island an identity. Taking place in the 1970s, the look isn’t over-the-top, but it’s still luxurious. Costume designer Vinyet Escobar tops it off by placing the characters in suits and dresses.
Interestingly, Gris Jordana’s cinematography doesn’t fully emphasize this. Rather than capturing scope, she utilizes close-ups to concentrate on specific individuals amid the crowd. This shallow depth of field leaves the bright lights and glamor out of focus in the background.
Jiménez does weave in compelling themes of power and pleasure. Following a self-absorbed character who seeks authority over every aspect of his life, “The Birthday Party” highlights the dark undercurrents of elitist ideologies. But it’s not like this hasn’t been done before, with recent entries like “The Menu” (2022) and “Blink Twice” (2024) executing a more cohesive — and satisfying — narrative as a whole.
“The Birthday Party” is the Dafoe show. Outside of his performance, there’s not much to take away from this generic “private island” entry.
Rating: 2 out of 5
