‘The Birthday Party’ Review – Willem Dafoe Steals The Party In An Otherwise Pedestrian Drama

Opulent wealth, an elite party, and a private island. This iconography has become a common descriptor among the rich and powerful. The madcap decadence of the powerful is a familiar storyline, especially one involving their own self-immolations. Now, it requires a certain level of sophistication and indeed creativity to elicit even a single iota of compassion or understanding for the 1% and their problems. Despite a boastful performance by the indomitable Willem Dafoe, The Birthday Party feels more like an after-party than anything noteworthy. Hashed-over ideas and a prattling pace make this a party better to decline on the RSVP card.

Now, for all the film’s faults, Dafoe shines. Even amid the melodramatic and soap-opera elements at play, his character, Marcos Timloelon, as an Aristotle Onassis-like figure, is captivating from the moment he opens his mouth and delivers his first line. Dafoe disappears behind the wide-eyed aviator glasses, constructing a man of intricate calculations and careful cunning. He projects both an air of mystery and a fragility, the latter becoming more profound as his world, which he works like a sculptor trying to control, slips from his grasp.

The film, set in the late 70s, somewhere in the Mediterranean, finds Timoleon hosting a decadent birthday party for his daughter, Sofia (Vic Carmen Sonne). In addition to being his only surviving child, she is the sole heiress to his vast business empire. As for the birthday party, despite being for his daughter, it is a perfect opportunity for various people in his life to approach him with their own agendas. However, it is Timoleon who ruthlessly plots behind the scenes, seemingly ahead of everyone, including his daughter, whom he is secretly making a big decision on her behalf. As the party grows rowdier and the evening prolongs, secrets tumble out, leading to an inevitable clash between father and daughter.

The story’s timeline spans a short window. It compresses the action and drama, making everything feel like a boiling pot that, of course, overflows at the most inopportune time: the party. However, because of the heightened storyline, much of the backstory falls to snippets of dialogue and exposition. It works in some part, particularly when we learn about Sofia’s own secret she is hiding from her father. But at other points, the story shortchanges itself, leading to twists that fill in gaps in the storyline.

Now, in terms of atmosphere, the movie feels cut from the 70s cloth. There is an energy to the performances found similar to films like The Godfather and Barry Lyndon. Aesthetically, the film looks to both its design and cinematography to vibe with the era in which it is set. In addition, there is a spectral synergy that complements the cinematography and projects an almost ghostly mood. Not to say this is a ghost story, because it is not, but there is a unique subtext of battling one’s own past ghosts.

All of these parts, when connected, should have resulted in a profound experience, yet the story feels stale. It is another classic tale of rich people’s problems, pitting the patriarch against a rebellious family member. In other words, it has been done. All this film has going for it is Dafoe. Even though the script never rises above soap-opera cliches, he is at least intriguing. His passionate diatribes and one-sided monologues are enough to give this film some color, with the remainder of the experience feeling like eating leftover birthday cake. It is his testament as an actor. He creates what would otherwise be an ironing-board type character, adding a bit of panache and wicked cruelty. 

The Birthday Party is currently available in select theaters and on Digital platforms courtesy of Quiver Distribution. 

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