The Birthday Party review – Willem Dafoe is the life and soul as menacing Onassis-alike
Bringing star power also is charismatic Danish star Vic Carmen Sonne; she plays his daughter Sofia, who has the honour and the terrible burden of a massive 25th birthday party thrown for her by the overbearing Marcos on his private island. The guest list consists almost entirely of his heavily tanned Eurotrash acquaintances and hangers-on, but this claustrophobic party is all the more painful as (like Onassis) Timoleon has recently suffered the terrible anguish of his son and favourite child dying in a plane accident.
The film shows us that he concerns himself now with who Sofia is to marry and who his son-in-law is therefore to be – questions that, if his son had lived, would not be nearly so important – and he is nettled to see a close relationship between Sofia and his young English biographer Ian Forster, played by Joe Cole. In his heart, of course, Marcos would have preferred the other child to die and he has terrible plans for Sofia at the end of her party.
This is a strong, confident picture that hits its measured stride early on. Its pace and style and language are dictated by a charismatic Dafoe; however, he gives the impression that this performance is not exactly a stretch for him. But he is always commanding, especially when talking to his various consiglieri, confiding amusingly to one intimate that it is good that children become rebellious and disagreeable; if they stayed as adorable as when they were young, parents could never part with them.
The Birthday Party screened at the Locarno film festival.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why Malin Akerman connects her Hunting Wives character to Melania Trump
Malin Akerman revealed her character Margo in Netflix 's new drama The Hunting Wives was inspired by Melania Trump. Akerman's character, a wealthy housewife, sees her expectations shift when her husband pursues a career in politics, mirroring Melania Trump's public trajectory. The series, an adaptation of May Cobb's 2021 thriller, follows Sophie (Brittany Snow) as she moves to East Texas and becomes involved with a group of socialite housewives. Akerman described Margo as a 'survivor' whose actions are driven by necessity to advance her personal agenda. The Hunting Wives has recently seen a surge in viewership, ranking highly on Netflix's top 10 most-watched series.
Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Julianne Moore, 64, ditches Hollywood glamour as she posts rare makeup-free selfie
Julianne Moore was effortlessly radiant as she posted a rare makeup-free selfie to Instagram on Tuesday. The 64-year-old Oscar winner - who recently whisked herself away for an Italian getaway with her family - shared the photo with fans while reflecting on special moments from the month of August thus far. The mom-of-two flashed a cheerful smile as she sported a plunging, black bikini top while spending time outdoors. Julianne also opted to showcase her glowing skin to her 2.7 million followers while taking in a scenic sunset. Another image was taken of a wooden deck that was surrounded by trees and tall grass as water stretched out in the distance. The blue sky was covered with wispy clouds that had hues of orange and pink as the evening sun began to set. The Oscar winner jumped to her main Instagram page on Tuesday to share special moments from the month of August thus far; seen in May in NYC The May December actress indulged in a tasty meal that comprised of fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese. Julianne's dog Hope also celebrated turning one year older and the Hollywood star included a slide dedicated to the adorable pup. Both she and her husband Bart Freundlich adopted the lab mix back in 2020 from Gimme Shelter Animal Rescue. Lastly, the star showed her Wordle score to her fans and simply captioned the Instagram carousel with, 'August.' Julianne has previously opened up about beauty and offered her thoughts on the phrase 'aging gracefully.' During a past interview with As If Magazine in 2021, she said, 'There's so much judgement inherent in the term "aging gracefully." Is there an ungraceful way to age? 'We don't have an option, of course. No one has an option about aging, so it's not a positive or a negative thing, it just is.' In regards to aging, the actress explained that it is 'part of the human condition, so why are we always talking about it as if it is something that we have control over?' She added that growing older should instead be focused on 'challenging ourselves' and to 'learn new things.' 'How do we continue to evolve? How do we navigate life to have even deeper experiences?' Julianne further expressed. And while talking to Glamour, the Sirens star stated that she felt 'makeup is something that you should want to wear, but you shouldn't feel like you have to. 'I think it's an antiquated idea, this idea that we put makeup on to cover something up, to cover up our flaws, or to look professional. You can be professional without makeup. Makeup should be a want, not a need.' She later reflected, 'That's the biggest change that I think we've had in the beauty industry…is that you do it for yourself, not because you feel that you have to.' During an interview with Vogue in 2023, Julianne gave insight into her skincare routine - which comprises of Cetaphil cleanser, SPF, serums and eye cream. And when it comes to the application of makeup, the mom-of-two explained that she doesn't 'like a lot of coverage; I like to be able to see the freckles in my skin and color in my skin as well.' Julianne has been keeping busy during the summer season and recently enjoyed an Italian trip with her husband Bart as well as their two children Liv, 27, and Caleb, 23. The actress and her loved ones were spotted taking a dip in the cool water in the city of Grosseto. Julianne sported a black, one-piece swimsuit while her mini-me daughter donned a shimmering gold bikini. She additionally shared a few memorable pictures to her Instagram page from the family vacation, including her two kids posing together. Another showed Liv and Caleb pausing for a snap with their dad Bart - whom Julianne tied the knot with in 2003. The actress also recently made an appearance in the Netflix limited series titled Sirens - alongside other cast members such as Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, Kevin Bacon and Glenn Howerton. The premise is: 'Worried about her sister's too-close relationship with her billionaire boss, a scrappy everywoman seeks answers at a lavish seaside estate,' per an official synopsis. The show has garnered critical praise since its release on the streaming site back in May. Sirens also recently raked in Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Meghann and also Outstanding Directing. A couple months earlier in June, Julianne also hinted at a possible move to the U.K. - after other Hollywood celebrities have left the U.S. following Donald Trump's presidential win late last year in November. During an appearance on Capital Breakfast with her Echo Valley co-star Sydney Sweeney, the Still Alice actress explained how she has a British passport due to her mother being from Scotland. When asked if she could 'see herself' residing in the U.K. full-time, Julianne replied, 'I can actually, my husband and I have talked about that sometimes. It could be kind of fun. 'I've worked here a lot and I'm really comfortable here. I've been working here, gosh, probably since the nineties...' Other stars that have moved out of the United States since Trump's second term began in the White House include Rosie O'Donnell, Eva Longoria and Ellen DeGeneres.
Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews In Flight on Ch4: Spare a thought for the Bulgarian tourist board after this dark thriller
In Flight (Ch4) The opening three minutes of In Flight were crammed with so much backstory, I had to check this rush of events wasn't a recap of an earlier series. In a blur of flashback images, we saw a bunch of lads downing beer in a rough bar, a chase, a fight, and a frantic single mother flying across Europe to the aid of her 19-year-old son facing murder charges in a Bulgarian jail. After a tearful prison visit, we caught up with mum Jo months later, trying to hang on to her job as a flight attendant while fighting a solo legal battle. That's quite a set-up. For the first half-hour, Katherine Kelly battled to maintain the pace, but like a runner who starts a marathon with a sprint, she inevitably began to flag. Twice, she flopped down onto a mattress and appeared to pass out from sheer exhaustion. I don't blame her. At first it seemed this six-part thriller, which continues tonight, would concentrate on her struggle to win freedom for her son, helpfully named Sonny (Harry Cadby). But the plot took a twist after Jo went out drinking in a bar with friends, downing shots of vodka and red wine mixed with Coke — a hellish concoction. You would think that, after the trouble that booze bingeing caused her teenage son, she would be teetotal. Instead, she starts flirting with a bearded guy (Stuart Martin) whose Northern Irish accent is as intimidating as his leather jacket. Fishy tale of the night J.B. Gill went snorkelling over a reef in the English Channel off Bognor Regis, in Coastal Adventures (Ch5). He was looking for Stompy the stingray. 'He's huge but he hasn't got a sting,' said another diver. Sounds like Stompy is a big softy. When she arrives home at the end of the night, he's already let himself into the house, which seems a bit forward. Turns out he's a drugs runner for an organised crime gang, with one of those offers-you-can't-refuse: either she agrees to smuggle heroin in her cabin crew luggage allowance, or his associates in the East European jail will kill her son. All credit to Martin - I knew I recognised him from the moment he gave Jo a wolfish smile, but it wasn't till I Googled that the penny dropped: he was the urbane but irascible Inspector William Wellington in the Victorian detective show, Miss Scarlet And The Duke. The two roles could hardly be more different, and yet he seems naturally fitted for both. His sinister presence gives In Flight an edge of menace, leaving us genuinely fearful for Jo's safety. But she doesn't make it easy for us to warm to her. When she needs money or reassurance, she turns to former lover and customs officer Dom (Ashley Thomas), phoning him in the early hours of the morning even though he's married with a small child. And the first time she brings drugs through airport security, she switches bags with her best friend, so that if anyone does get caught, it won't be Jo. Charming. But if Jo's unlikeable, spare a thought for the Bulgarian tourist board. No one's going to be booking a holiday there after watching this.
