Il compleanno

As you watch this film, you'll find yourself wanting to scream, "Don't do it. Stop! Stop!," that is, if you have ever betrayed the best that you have for something that you should not obtain. The acting is excellent, and believe me, after having watched more than my fair share of French films, this Italian creation is an action film in comparison. A malevolent, mythological undertone, the antithesis of those mystical experiences found in Italy by E. M. Forester's Brits on vacation, lurks just below the surface as the story lurches toward what did not have to be inevitable. If you watch closely and listen intently, David's Birthday says much about betrayal and unrequited love.

I saw it as a sort of ladder . First - the cast - especcialy Maria de Madeiros and Massimo Poggio. Second - the opera show, as seed of the dramatic story, and, not the last, the summer house and the friendship portrait. A love story, forbidden, ambiguous and the development of story used by many films, maybe too many, from same gene. But its beauty remains obvious. A bitter story of desire, the character discovering the truth behind apparences, the consequence who, in some measure, you expect it. Touch of soap opera ? If you know the feelings of Matteo , you see this accusation as silly. But,maybe, for majority, it is present but far to be definitory and it can be perceived only as try to give to story some dramatic flavors . Short, a beautiful film. And this real counts.

Movie opens with a melodramatic opera scene and the ending of the movie finishes likewise. So over the top that the tragedy at the end seemed too contrived and unrealistic. The sex the married Italian had with the tempting young man was made to seem like the worst thing possible and the guilt trip over what accidentally happened at the end would last a lifetime. Oh come on...give me a break. Total overreaction....totally unreal drama!!! Not interesting and not sexy.

Built on the theme of ill-fated love, this film merges modern cinema with opera and emerges with a hybrid which infuses the viewer with a morality tale under two hours duration. Emotional theatrics reveal the frayed and tattered mental state of these two couples as both attempt to keep the appearances of functional family ties and friendships. While some USA viewers may find the emotional intensity "over the top," I find it similar to the emotional intensity that was infused into American Western genre when it went Italian and added an operatic theme to the story-telling. While no bullets are flying in a "pulp fiction" sensational style, the emotional content and the poignant plot climax enliven a rather dull scenario of viewing yet another "Doing Time on Maple Drive" clone-film with subtitles.

A Great Italian movie. I didn't like the ending though , but still a wonderful movie (why should all gay relationships be tarnished with guilt by writers). For some reason European films have a lower ranking than Hollywood films on IMDb even though they are sometimes of better quality. This is a great drama film.

Whats great about this movie is the way it recreates moments and precisely conveys what the characters are feeling - the bike scene with David and Matteo is superbly done with background song "zingara" - interpreted by Iva Zanicchi, which is great. The actor who plays David's character is a real hotty by the way, watch out for an intimate scene with a song by Loretta Goggi - "Maledetta Primavera" in the background. The opera style music played in the beginning and end is a bit strong I felt - reminds me of 'Death in Venice'.

The movie has a great realistic and natural style to it, everything including conversation flows smoothly and is completely engrossing. A good watch.