The Birthday Trip: This Low-Budget Satirical Aussie Drama Is As Messy As Its Relationships

The Birthday Trip is a low-budget Australian satirical drama and dark comedy directed by James Robert Woods, which boasts a talented ensemble cast headed by Luke Jacobz.

Upon reading the synopsis first indications are that this film may be a crowd-pleaser – a breakout Aussie flick deservedly of achieving box office success – but is it really?

The story centres on three besties who take their partners on a 30^th celebratory weekend trip to the Southern Highlands, staying at a luxury vacation farmhouse retreat.

“I hope this weekend is everything you want it to be,” one of the characters sincerely tells his partner.

It’s happy times initially, but as the hours pass their relationships are put to the test as alcohol consumption amongst other issues, cloud their judgements. Will it be a weekend they will never forget?

As the film progresses it’s difficult to see where this story is headed. Audiences are quickly introduced to the caretaker of the property and his wife, and the initial yet wrongful thoughts are that it may be settling into a horror flick owing to their discord and bizarre behaviour.

The finale involving this caretaker and his wife is unpredictable and baffling, and may leave audiences asking, ‘Where did this come from…and why?’

There are many negative elements in this film which may prove underwhelming for audiences. The choppy camera work is a tool that reportedly compounds to the authentic and immersive nature of the narrative and is utilised in practically each frame of the film. This sensory overload can evoke the feeling of motion sickness and may also lead audiences to believe they are watching a dating reality program.

The constant banal and irrelevant conversations over endless glasses of the finest wines add nothing to the narrative and feel like time fillers. Flirting behaviour and hostility arise, only giving audiences false hope that sequences may follow that could fuel much needed flair to the story.

The cast performs well with the material they are given to work with, but that’s insufficient, as the film lacks substance. It’s difficult to care or even warm to these characters.

On a positive note, the picturesque beauty of the Southern Highlands is the highlight of the film, and the rolling green hills and blue skies beautifully captured may be an incentive for moviegoers to travel and enjoy a weekend at these filming locations.

The Birthday Trip is another Australian feature film which predictably won’t make a ripple at the all-important box office. Most Australian films have failed to find an audience in cinemas in recent years – are these small films lost amongst the high-budget Hollywood productions? Or is it perhaps that Australian audiences have faded interest in Australian produced feature films?

**1/2

The Birthday Trip is in cinemas July 30.