Diagonaldi Very well executed

GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Steineded How sad is this?

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

meaninglessbark The drama in Henry Gamble's Birthday Party is mostly low key and lurks under the surface of the carefully honed smiling faces of a family and group of friends all tied to a conservative megachurch.The Wise Kids, a previous film by the same director, looked at the lives of a trio of friends associated with a small conservative church. Henry Gamble addresses similar issues but with the glossy smoothness of the mega church devotees. This film will probably be most interesting to people who grew up on the church. You'll recognize the pleasant platitudes, the various types of characters, the awkwardness of dealing with situations people would rather not address, the underlying tensions of feelings that can't be expressed.The film is incredibly well acted and a looks good. The family's house, the perfection of the pool, and the whiteness of most of the characters are all important elements of the film. The only flaw was a bit of melodrama near the end which seemed more like a we-have-to-put-something-major-here decision. But even with that bump Henry Gamble's Birthday Party is masterful examination of an aspect of American culture.

Bodo A simple setup: One boy's birthday pool party. Everybody plays along and pretends to be happy. But beneath the surface, people's emotions are boiling. While people are having a fun time, deep secret come to light.HENRY GAMBLE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY manages to make statements about religion and about homosexuality without becoming overly political. It manages to convince you of the dark power of peer pressure and church without becoming overly judgmental. It manages to make you feel sexual oppression first-hand, focusing on a subjective perspective of what people really feel rather than what they show to feel. The movie weaves lots of different characters together without becoming incoherent. Many of the characters are just there for a few lines, but they seem real nonetheless. Some of them look like you would want to get to know them better. Others make you feel pity.Throughout all of this, HENRY GAMBLE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY breathes with life and flows from one thing to the next without becoming trite. Watching this movie truly feels like being at a day's long summer party that slowly progresses through people's complex interactions. Carried by superb acting and a vision of what it means to be human, everything comes together in a grandiose yet subtle fashion. Mind blown.

plotzilla I wanted to write a review. It was 3 pages long but was not allowed because it had too many "prohibited" words. As a gay man, I watch a lot of gay films. As a soon-to-be indie film maker, I have been watching TONS of indie gay films. This was complete garbage and EVERYTHING I want to avoid on my films.

Shaun McCarthy Writer/Director Stephen Cone has crafted a film that on technical merits alone is heads above most films dealing with a gay youth coming of age. Cinematographer Jason Chiu's contributions must be recognized as well. Finally, a fairly strong cast all adds to a film that is confident and ambitious. It may not always achieve, but its parts are greater than the whole.The camera is an observer and moves melodically throughout the film. Yet, cinematographer and director never become showy. Each angle and camera movement is intentional and honest. The lead actors are strong. Their backstories are sometimes revealed through dialogue but their untold stories echo throughout rewarding the audience with so many three dimensional people rarely seen in smaller films. The supporting cast is mostly as strong.A majority of the film deals with teenagers conversing at a birthday party. The written dialogue accurately reflects that world but the subtext of real world drama rings through loudly. Cast and director deserve strong kudos.The pacing of the film is not as strong. Multiple story lines are difficult to balance and juggle. Here writer and editor (both Cone again) show their weaknesses. As well, and no spoiler, the ending is lacking. Technically, it is fitting and true to the world of the film, but that does not discount the audience leaving feeling short changed.A third of the way through the film, I was very excited by what I had seen thus far. Two thirds of the way through the film, I became a tad restless but I was invested in the characters to want to see it through. By the end, I was disappointed based on my initial excitement but not enough to be disenfranchised. Stephen Cone is a talent to be watched. His ambition should be encouraged and nurtured. His cast deserves to be seen in many more projects. Henry Gamble's Birthday Party is a very good achievement and possibly one that will be recognized in future years as a major leaping point for many people.