advertisement

Review The Birthday Boy: Designing a great escape

The Birthday Boy, directed by newcomer Whisky and produced by Bomma Borusa Productions, hits the scenes this Friday.

Plot:

The film is set in the present-day US where four friends (Arjun and others as NRIs) from the Telugu land come together to celebrate the birthday of their friend Balu amidst their busy lives. The birthday night turns out to be a nightmare when, out of overenthusiasm and a misplaced idea of fun, they end up accidentally killing Balu after dishing out some hard birthday bumps. Mighty scared about their future, they decide to cover up the death by hiding the dead body with the help of a laywer-friend. In the process of helping them, the lawyer-friend and a local acquaintance start uncovering some shocking secrets.

Performances:

The film features unknown actors, barring Rajeev Kanakala, the onscreen father of the deceased character. Sameer Malla, Mani Vaka, Raja Ashok, Vikranth Ved, Sai Arun, Rahul Ch and Ravi Krishna deliver neat performances. None of them is a bad choice. For a small film made as a passion project, it is commendable that the performances are so raw and real.

At times, some of the artists seem to be playing it for the audience rather than reacting to the grave situation they are encountering. But everything makes sense by the end of the film.

Technical Departments:

The entire film stays indoors. Sankirth Raahul's cinematography understands the resultant limitations and never makes the ambiance look constricted. Prashanth Srinivas' background music is never loud and, at times, is edgy. Naresh Adupa's editing is sharp. The film was shot on Sync Sound (supervised by Sai Maneendhar Reddy). The conversations wouldn't have felt life-like had it not been for this technique.

Analysis:

The film starts as a lighthearted buddy comedy with the potential for heartbreak. But the second half takes a sharp turn, morphing into a gripping thriller. Despite the cinematic dialogue, the slice-of-life feel remains strong throughout. To truly land the emotional punch, the birthday night scene could benefit from a more elaborate sequence. Additionally, some key moments could have been more impactful, with a stronger emotional rawness.

The main characters come across as generic at first. Slowly, they are fleshed out as their backstories and motives are revealed. The setting is a limited space. The characters have just one house to do whatever they want to. Whether it is running around, shouting, or screaming aloud, they have to do it at the same place. They have to show their emotional trauma, helplessness and how hard it is to be caught in an existential bind over the course of a night.

At less than 130 minutes or so, the story of 'The Birthday Boy' didn't require tempo-building or character-building. The friends come across as one of our own, leading their regular lives with gay abandon as listless bachelors. They enjoy boozing at night, they compulsively use cuss words, and they look genuinely worried when they are expected to. They have been long-time friends whose parents know one another. At first, they don't realize the gravity of the mess they have gotten into.

The film's director, Whisky, has admittedly refused to reveal his face to the world because he doesn't want his family members to know that he has made a film by investing his entire savings. As the end credits roll, we are told that the film is indeed based on a real death and an actual cover-up. Only the audience of the film are privy to some of the secrets. One can have doubts about how many of these claims are true, but what is certain is that 'The Birthday Boy' is one of the few well-written small-scale movies made in recent times.

Vox Verdict:

'The Birthday Boy' is a tightly-written thriller with tense scenes and an engaging second half.

Rating: 2.75/5


Also Read>>

Glam Shots>>

Mister ad3

 

 

advertisement