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David's Birthday
Il compleanno
2009 106 min Italy
★6.7
Mystery, Drama, Romance
Director: Marco Filiberti
Trailers
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Description
Two couples are enjoying their summer at the beach, but when the grown son of one couple arrives, it surprisingly stirs something in the husband of the other couple, will the forbidden feelings end badly?
Starring
Alessandro Gassmann
Actor
Maria de Medeiros
Actor
Massimo Poggio
Actor
Awards
2 nominations
Key opinion
Il compleanno is a visually sophisticated Italian drama that explores the unraveling of a stable life through forbidden desire and repressed tension. While the film excels in its aesthetic execution, it divides audiences on whether its slow-burning narrative and theatrical acting styles result in profound character study or lack of substance.
| Culture | The film excels as an astonishingly authentic piece of Italian cinema, characterized by rich, sensory-driven family scenes and a distinct southern immediacy. | |
| Cinematography | Masterful dialectic editing and bold, meticulous camera work provide a high level of aesthetic pleasure throughout the film. | |
| Theme | The characters are depicted as morally complex figures who are caught in a believable struggle between their desire to be good and their internal human flaws. | |
| Acting | Performances lean into a highly theatrical style that some viewers find immersive and others find prone to overacting. | |
| Pacing | The narrative pace is polarizing: some appreciate the contemplative, slow-build approach, while others find the lack of overt action frustrating until the final moments. |