Henry Gamble's Birthday Party (2016)

Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party

“Stephen Cone’s queer films are well meaning if misguided. Here he looks to examine the hypocrisies of the evangelical sect, a fertile and ripe place, and do so in an empathetic and humane way, noble choice, but Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party is trying to tackle way more than Cone’s abilities as a writer or a director are capable of handling. There are bits about racism, mental illness, adultery, eating disorders, homosexuality, and the policing of women’s bodies and sexuality. All of that in 87 minutes, and you best believe that none of it is given much depth or consideration.   It’s a very open-hearted film and characters that would be easy target practice under another filmmaker are given moments to feel like real people. There’s a humorous bit where one character is explai” read more