Ali is a father who's brooding about having fallen out of touch with several old friends. With his young son's birthday fast approaching, he decides the best way of showing the kid that his dad's still got it is to get the band back together, and host a big party. This may prove easier said than done on short notice. Meanwhile, another man has mixed success with a new lady friend. Can all their problems be solved before the day is out?...
My
experience with the cinema of Azerbaijan consists of its glamorous
classic musicals, and social dramas (depressing or otherwise). Ad Günü
(Birthday) seemed to be a mix of both. But unlike others, it's set in the
present day. I was looking forward to a modern Azeri song-and-dance picture!...Well it turns out this isn't a musical
at all. Just popping that bubble for anyone else who seeks it out based
on that. But it was still a pretty decent watch.
The plot is divided in two, with the lion's share being given to family man Ali. He's a bit of a misery guts and worrywart. Never happy unless he's miserable, and stressing himself into a frenzy. He's basically
turning his son's birthday into an excuse to get all of his own friends
together. But not for selfish reasons, but to show his son he's
somebody, not a friendless loser.
I
like that despite his maudlin attitude, and his somewhat too forward
way of broaching the subject, Ali actually succeeds in his mission. The
others all agree they've become too distant, and work is only so much of
an excuse. So after an absence of years, they finally let their hair down
and have a big dance together, and pledge to meet more often.
Mustafa's story is a bit odd in how unrelated it is to the rest of the film, but is nice enough. He's a likeable guy, if a bit overeager, and Farida is a withdrawn homely woman, but has a soft side to her. She's also very trusting to allow this strange man up to her apartment after only a day! She's believably frosty at first, but opens up well, and the pair share a nice rapport, getting to know each-other well.
Things end on a bit of a downer though, when Farida's brother sorta shows up, and despite saying everything's ok, she suddenly feels she should shoo Mustafa away. Nuts to your bro, lady, enjoy your date! We never see any proper resolution to this story, but I guess it's nice that not
everything is wrapped up in a neat bow. It's also nice that there's no forced
romance, just friendship. Maybe their relationship will develop further after the film's end, but it's not here for us to see.
The two stories intersect very nicely by the end, in a way that finally breaks the remaining gloom. It's a good note to end the film on. Overall the plot here isn't anything grand, but it succeeds in just that regard, being a little slice of life.
Ad Günü does an alright job at showing off Azerbaijan of the period, and it's amusing seeing all the little 70s mod-cons. The movie is well-directed too, by noted local auteur Rasim Ojagov.
The actors here do a decent job all-around. I liked that the cast is made up of fairly normal looking people. Particularly Shafiga Mammadova, who isn't a slim and slender supermodel, but a well-built woman, yet portrayed as no less attractive.
The the score here is ok, if a bit
down in places. There are also a couple of songs during the party sequence, such as regional classic Sev Kardeşim, performed by Zeynab Khanlarova (I'll probably cause an international
incident by saying this, but I found her a bit harsh and loud! I
prefer Emel Sayın), and a swanky Demis Roussos tune, When I'm a Kid, which fits the friendly partying atmosphere perfectly!
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