3 weeks ago
About 11 days agone nan 79th Cannes Film Festival opened pinch a lighthearted French comedy, The Electric Kiss. That indicated to maine they were getting nan nosy worldly retired of nan measurement successful bid to spell really acheronian for nan adjacent 10 days. That has been beautiful overmuch nan case, truthful it’s not astonishing that nan very past title film, premiering tonight, doesn’t precisely make you time off nan Palais stepping connected air.
The Birthday Party seems for illustration a nosy title but you don’t want an induce to this one. Based connected nan book Histoires de la Nuit by Laurent Mauvignier, this is yet different location penetration thriller, a well-worn genre that I deliberation has ne'er gotten a full batch amended than 1955’s The Desperate Hours pinch Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March (not nan ’90s remake), and successful position of existent life nary tops nan opening of Richard Brooks’ superb 1967 movie In Cold Blood from Truman Capote’s book connected nan Cutter Family murders. That aforesaid year, Wait Until Dark scared maine to decease erstwhile bad guys terrorized a unsighted Audrey Hepburn. The original Straw Dogs was good, truthful was Panic Room.
It is reliable to amended connected these, and French head Lee Mysius (Ada, Fire Devil) doesn’t rather get there, though her aggravated play has its moments.
One of those moments negatively speaking, is [SPOILER ALERT] in nan first half hr earlier things get boiling. The bully friends canine is nan first casualty of this location invasion, and for that I must deduct immoderate points because I really don’t for illustration it erstwhile nan good-hearted pup gets it betwixt nan ears. I person still never forgiven John Wick, the first one, for doing it truthful vividly to that bully small beagle.
Other than this transgression, Mysius, who does person a flair for mounting nan communicative successful a distant location guaranteeing added hostility ala different location penetration movie I loved, 1962’s Cape Fear, as good arsenic nan Martin Scorsese remake. Fortunately, though this gets violent, Mysius doesn’t spell down nan way of nan astir terrifying illustration of nan genre, 1997’s torture porn introduction Funny Games.
Living successful a very unpopulated small area of nan agrarian French marshlands, Thomas (Bastien Bouillon), his woman Nora (Hafsia Herzi) and their young girl Ida (Tawba El Gharchi) spell astir their regular routine. Nora is an executive who gets a large promotion astatine work, Ida heads to school, and Thomas deals pinch nan workplace animals and mounting astir to astonishment Nora pinch a day party. He brings nan only neighbour they have, Cristina (Monica Bellucci), an Italian creator into nan plans since she tin really cook. Life present seems idyllic, until it isn’t. A man drives up wanting to beryllium shown immoderate existent property for waste but gives disconnected a unusual vibe to Cristina, who blows him off. The aerial of thing bad astir to hap continues done nan film’s first half hr (including nan demise of nan dog), and arsenic Thomas is decorating nan location pinch day goodies, he and Ida person uninvited guests.
The existent woody starts erstwhile Franck (Benoit Magimel) turns up, nan clear leader of this break-in but who treats himself and his cohorts arsenic invited visitors. Thomas, who has had money troubles, assumes they mightiness beryllium aft him. We don’t really know, nor do we cognize if possibly it is really Cristina adjacent doorway who is progressive somehow. Slowly, Franck drops clues that it is thing other altogether that has brought this unwanted visitation. Meanwhile, Nora is stuck connected nan roadworthy location pinch a level tyre she attempts to hole herself. When she yet gets location she is of people amazed by what she sees. It is each compounded by nan presence of 2 guests, co-workers of Nora’s — Estelle (Servane Ducorps) and Kim (Talia Tsuladze) — who deliberation these guys are besides conscionable friends, but not for agelong arsenic Franck keeps dropping clues, and abruptly we commencement to fishy it is Nora who whitethorn person had a past life nary 1 knew about.
Production-wise this is simply a tight ship, fundamentally group successful 2 locations: nan main location and Cristina’s adjacent door, wherever 1 of nan goons is keeping her captive truthful arsenic not to fto her spell for help. Mysius keeps nan suspense astatine a precocious transportation arsenic nan backmost communicative of Franck and his narration to this family becomes clearer and much threatening. Magimel gets nan acting honors here, bringing a chopped gangster vibe to a feline conscionable retired of prison, a benignant of new-age Edward G. Robinson. His associates, played by Paul Hamy and Alane Delhaye, are much of nan banal assortment you spot successful these kinds of crime thrillers, neither pinch overmuch of an IQ. As Nora, Herzi makes nan correct moves, and Bouillon arsenic her progressively concerned hubby is simply a bully feline successful a bad situation. It’s ever bully to spot Bellucci, and she’s sewage a bully domiciled successful this one.
The Birthday Party, unlike galore of nan different title entries this year, doesn’t look to person a full batch connected its mind different than conscionable trying to entertain successful a genre guaranteed to make you uncomfortable. Don’t watch this astatine home.
Producer is Jean-Louis Liu.
Title: The Birthday Party
Festival: Cannes (Competition)
Director-screenwriter: Lee Mysius
Cast: Benoit Magimel, Hafsis Herzi, Monica Bellucci, Tawba El Gharschi, Paul Hamy, Alan Delhaye, Sevane Ducorps, Talia Tsuladze
Sales agent: Mk2
Running time: 1 hr 54 mins
