David's Birthday (Il Compleanno) (2009) directed by Marco Filiberti

[reviews_and_ramblings]

A group of friends rent a magnificent house by the sea to spend the summer together. The unexpected arrival of Shary and Diego's son David sets something off in everyone, especially Matteo, an accomplished psychoanalyst who is married to Francesca. David's lonely and enigmatic uncle Leonard senses the reasons behind the dangerous tension, hidden beneath layers of silence and friendly banter. This vacation will indelibly mark everybody's life.

Director: Marco Filiberti

Writers: Deborah De Furia, Marco Filiberti

Release Date: 8 September 2009 (Venice Film Festival, Italy)

Genres: Drama

Storyline: While vacationing in an Italian summer home, happily married Matteo (Massimo Poggio) is surprised to find himself attracted to his best friend's underwear-model son, David (real-life model Thyago Alves). But the plot thickens when David appears to share Matteo's lust. Although she can't quite put a finger on the problem, Matteo's wife (Maria de Medeiros) senses something's happened to their relationship.

Engrossing journey heightened by beautiful cinematography, breathtaking score and stellar performances --Miami GLBT Film Festival

Sweeping and operatic... gorgeous to look and listen to... artistically triumphant. New York Cool --Wolfe

Awards: 2009 International Jury Award Nomination to Marco Filiberti, São Paulo International Film Festival

@IMDb
@Amazon: David's Birthday (2011)
@Netflix
@Wolfe Video









































Cast (in credits order)
Alessandro Gassman ... Diego
Maria de Medeiros ... Francesca
Massimo Poggio ... Matteo
Michela Cescon ... Shary
Christo Jivkov ... Leonard
Piera Degli Esposti ... Giuliana
Thyago Alves ... David
Marianna De Rossi ... Chicca
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Daniele De Angelis ... Orazio
Lynn Swanson ... Circeo tour guide

     
Matteo & David

And since Thyago Alves is also a very handsome model, please enjoy a bit of Man Candy as well:

Comments

[tizi17.livejournal.com]

O.M.G.....
he is... well words leave me here..
a beautiful italian specimen..
is he gay? or just outwordly beautiful?

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

This movie was a sensation in Italy because it was official selection in our most important, and most famous, movie festival (Venice) and because it has a gay theme that is still taboo here in Italy (despite everything people say or try). So I had to feature it, but I'm not sure I like the message. Oh I like the movie, how couldn't you like it? The setting is good (sometime wonderful), the acting is more than good (experienced actors with years of play acting behind) and the direction is at the same time "cultured" and "eye candy". What I probably didn't like is the message that being gay is a "dirty" impulse, something the progressive psychologist Matteo has to hide until the tragedy comes. True, Matteo is not in an easy situation, if you want to put obstacles on your way, he chose all of them: he is attracted/lusts for the 18 years old son of his best friend, he is married, he has a little child that still needs his figure... Not easy. I think other than the easy message of homosexuality as something that you have to hide, the second message, and probably what the director wanted to convey, was the contraposition between mind and body. Matteo prouded himself to be the intellectual one, sometime even a bit boring among his party friends; he was the perfect husband, the one who married the gentle woman who probably is not at his male intellectual level, but he is "training". And then Matteo is the first to fall in lust: his visceral attraction towards David is destructive and all physical, there is nothing of intellectual in that; sincerely David is not so clever or challenging on a mind level, even if his mother tells us he is a good student, but to me he came as a bit "simple". Beautiful, almost shockingly beautiful, but nothing more. By the way his best scene in the movie is the assolo masturbation, and this is not a joke: that scene is extremely erotic, probably one of the best scene of the movie, and David making love to himself in front of a mirror is the epitome of narcissism. So in the end, I recommend you to see the movie, but be aware, it's highly dramatic.

[tizi17.livejournal.com]

ah yes, i got sidetracked.. ;-)
the film sounds great...

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

Oh. My. Gaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwddd!

[mickieashling.livejournal.com]

I'm speechless, Elisa. OMG!!! I have to see this movie. Thank you for posting this and making me crazy early in the morning, lol!

This man is to die for...words fail...

[francy-m79.livejournal.com]

In the movie there's a lot to enjoy (especially the eye-candy), but all things considered, I hated it... I hated the stupid ending. The final tragedy was so unneeded, or at least it felt that way to me. I'm tired of movies where homosexuality is trouble and leads to unhappiness. :(

After all this time...

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know how I missed your post, so long ago, about David's Birthday.

I loved this film, and fell in love with Thyago, and in fact have patterned a character after him. I agree with your thoughts on the film, I was spellbound by it.

And I also have to say that Alessandro Gassman, who was the reason I bought the film in the first place, is my all-time favorite actor, and has been for such a long time. A brilliant actor, a sexy man.

And I've SO enjoyed the picture line-up you offered of Thyago. I'm in heaven.

Sorry I did not see this sooner!

Regards,
C. Zampa