Each year on our birthdays Senaai and I see a film. What better way to celebrate another journey around the sun? How else would you commemorate the slow drum beat of death nearing ever closer?
Here’s a list of the films we’ve seen on my birthday plus some other details I can remember because my brain holds so much useless information. I’ve forgotten all of maths, but I can remember this shit.
2013
About Time – Chermside
My first time in Gold Class! Senaai treated me, what a sweetie. A fantastic film as well, perhaps Richard Curtis’s best. I remember so clearly Bill Nighy’s speech about kindness. I remember it all the time.
2014
Fury – Myer Centre, Brisbane City
This was actually the last film of many I saw this day. It was the day of our second-year film screenings at uni. My film was not was received well and that was fair enough. Fury, though, was great. Intense, for sure, and not very hopeful. But that’s war.
2015
Mistress America – Palace Barracks (didn’t actually see it on my birthday, but whatever, it’s my list)
Three years in and I really mixed things up. We saw a production of Avenue Q at the Brisbane Arts Theatre, a sweet little community theatre. And we liked it! The night was sort of ruined later on though. There was a storm and we found ourselves searching for a lost dog we spotted a few blocks from our home. We didn’t find the pup. I like to think he got home.
During the day we watched Raiders of the Lost Ark so it wasn’t without cinematic wonder. And the next day we saw Mistress America at Palace Barracks– the best Noah Baumbach film and in my opinion criminally underrated, at least in terms of cultural impact. For example, I feel people know and reference Frances Ha but not this one, is what I mean, and what a shame. I sometimes wonder if I dreamed it because it’s so perfect and never spoken about. Or maybe I’m just in the wrong crowd.
2016
Doctor Strange – Grand Central, Toowoomba
Happened to be in Toowoomba, house sitting for my parents. Senaai came to see me for the weekend and we saw Doctor Strange. It was fine.
2017
Loving Vincent – Bulimba
We had never ventured far into Bulimba, but here we were, at the cutest retro cinema, seeing a wonderful film about a beautiful man. We haven’t made our way back there yet, but we should and so should you. And you should see this film – it’s not just a gimmick, it’s a stunning cinematic experience.
We also went to an old school arcade over that side of town. Which was cool! And ended the night watching The Lego Batman Movie – one of my very favourite films and also monumentally better than any movie that has the word ‘movie’ in its title deserves to be.
2018
Bohemian Rhapsody – Palace Barracks
The best part of this night, like many other nights, was our Sushi Edo beforehand. The film? Not horrible, not good, pretty terrible handling of many parts of the real Queen story. It gets worse every time you think about it.
A few nights before we scuttled away to the Gold Coast and the Yatala Drive-In. Now that was cool. Having only seen drive ins on screen, this experience really felt like being in a movie. Funny how that is. Unfortunately, the film we saw, A Star Is Born, left us cold.
So
The best birthday film screening?
Toss-up between Mistress America, About Time and Loving Vincent. Gun to my head, I think I’m going with Mistress America, though I’d like to see it again to confirm my view.
The worst?
Sorry, Rami Malek’s fake teeth.
This year’s film?
All going well, Terminator: Dark Fate!
The best thing?
Having a tradition with the person you love. Here’s to 70 or so more birthday films!
Lonnie Gilroy 