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The Birthday Cake

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The Birthday Cake
Film poster
Directed byJimmy Giannopoulos
Screenplay by
Produced by
  • Diomedes Raul Bermudez
  • Danny Sawaf
  • Siena Oberman
  • Shiloh Fernandez
  • Carlos Cuscó
Starring
CinematographySean Price Williams
Music byJimmy Giannopoulos
Tim Sandusky
Production
companies
Distributed byScreen Media Films
Release date
  • June 18, 2021 (2021-06-18)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Birthday Cake is a 2021 American crime thriller film directed by Jimmy Giannopoulos, from a screenplay by Diomedes Raul Bermudez, Shiloh Fernandez and Giannopoulos. It is the feature directorial debut for Giannopoulos, who previously directed short films and worked with Miley Cyrus, A$AP Rocky, Kid Cudi, and others on music projects.[1] This is the last movie Paul Sorvino starred in at the time of his death on July 25, 2022.

The Birthday Cake was released in the United States on June 18, 2021.[2]

Premise

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Young Italian-American, Giovanni "Gio", reluctantly continues his family's annual tradition of bringing a cake to the house of his Uncle Angelo, a local crime lord, to mark the anniversary of his mob-connected father's passing ten years earlier. It is not long before he witnesses a murder along the way, that will force him to learn the truth behind his father's death and change his life forever.[3]

Cast

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Production

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In August 2019, it was announced that Ewan McGregor, Shiloh Fernandez and Val Kilmer joined the cast of the film. Producers include Diomedes Raul Bermudez of Purpose Films, Siena Oberman of Artemis Pictures and Danny Sawaf of Oceana Studios. Jamin O'Brien, Jason Weinberg and Greg Lauritano are executive producers. Cassius Corrigan is a Co-Producer.[3]

Reception

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On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 22%, based on reviews from 23 critics.[4]

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times commended Giannopoulos' directorial efforts, the star-studded ensemble and some "truly tense and harrowing moments" throughout the film, but felt it was nothing more than "a lower-budget descendant to films" like Goodfellas and A Bronx Tale.[5] Leslie Felperin of The Guardian was critical of the film's "meandering script and absurdly grand guignol ending," but gave praise to Sean Price Williams' cinematography for capturing New York City.[6] Conversely, Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times praised Giannopoulos and his screenwriters for crafting a "story of operatic vengeance" with "multiple threads of unease" and "throttling tension", concluding that: "Giannopoulos might be inexperienced, but he's canny with mood and unafraid to experiment with the rhythms of violence. I, for one, am keen to see what he does next."[7] Alex Saveliev of Film Threat praised Fernandez for being "a compelling lead" and the rest of his ensemble cast, singling out Fichtner for displaying "unbridled ferocity" as Uncle Ricardo, and the overall quality giving off "a strong Safdie brothers vibe," concluding that: "As it stands, The Birthday Cake is a formidable showcase for an emerging director. It looks like Giannopoulos has several projects on his slate. Behold the birthday of a new cinematic talent."[8]

References

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  1. ^ Vlessing, Etan (August 22, 2019). "Ewan McGregor, Shiloh Fernandez, Val Kilmer to Star in Mob Drama 'The Birthday Cake'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  2. ^ Truitt, Brian (May 3, 2021). "Exclusive new photos from the biggest summer movies". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Ewan McGregor and Val Kilmer joining cast of 'The Birthday Cake'". Yahoo!. August 23, 2019. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  4. ^ "The Birthday Cake (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Roeper, Richard (June 18, 2021). "'The Birthday Cake' review: No matter how you slice it, star-studded mob film still seems undercooked". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Felperin, Leslie (July 14, 2021). "The Birthday Cake review – did Val Kilmer get an offer he couldn't refuse?". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  7. ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (June 17, 2021). "'The Birthday Cake' Review: Baked Hoods". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  8. ^ Saveliev, Alex (June 18, 2021). "The Birthday Cake". Film Threat. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
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