the fresh films reviews

S I N C E   1 9 9 7










 

Birthday Girl (2023)

Directed by:
Michael Noer

COUNTRY
Denmark

GENRE
Drama/Thriller

NORWEGIAN TITLE
Birthday Girl

RUNNING TIME
90 minutes

Produced by:
René Ezra
Matilda Appelin

Written by:
Michael Noer
Jesper Fink


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
Nanna Trine Dyrholm
Cille Flora Ofelia Hoffmann Lindahl

Kevin

Herman Tømmeraas

½
Lea Maja Ida Thiele ½
Mats Viktor Bjerke Hofgaard -

 

Review

A driven performance by Trine Dyrholm is the nucleus of this almost subtle dissection of an alleged rape aboard a cruise ship bound for the Caribbean. Dyrholm plays a mother who has taken her daughter Cille (Flora Ofelia Hoffmann Lindahl) and a friend on a cruise to celebrate the girl's 18th birthday. And in accordance with your typical libertine Danish tradition, mum wants to party with the young girls – but so do a group of young Norwegian bachelors, headed by the charming Kevin (Herman Tømmeraas from the Norwegian TV series Skam). Birthday Girl manages to address the timeless issue of rape with topical detail, with the added complication of aspects such as international waters and the reputation of a cruise ship company on the line. The film is by no means flawless – at times, director Michael Noer is too preoccupied with pushing certain plot points and conflicts to the forefront at the expense of character authenticity. Still, there is dramatic power and at times a palpable nerve in the situation mother and daughter find themselves in, and the two Danish actresses impress in the leads.

Copyright © 20.01.2025 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

[BACK TO INDEX]

[HAVE YOUR SAY]