Review: ‘The Party’ is a master class in acting (Includes first-hand account)

Secrets, doubts and resentments have a tendency to bubble up in social gatherings — particularly those with a wide range of personalities. One person’s confidence is another’s betrayal; one person’s certainty is another’s fear; and one person’s joy is another’s irritation. As the night wears on and alcohol flows more freely, many things are said that can never be taken back. Confrontations are messy, but someone generally insists on pursuing them to “clear the air.” And then everyone goes home, perhaps a little sadder and/or a little wiser. Thus, we have The Party.

In honour of Janet’s (Kristin Scott Thomas) new political post, she and Bill (Timothy Spall) are having a small gathering of their closest friends to celebrate. April (Patricia Clarkson) is her stalwart supporter in the midst of breaking up with Gottfried (Bruno Ganz), whose Zen philosophies she can no longer stand. Martha (Cherry Jones) and Jinny (Emily Mortimer) are expecting a child, while Tom (Cillian Murphy) arrives incredibly frazzled and without his wife. However, everyone is acting a bit oddly and before the evening’s end, all of the dark secrets their harbouring will be revealed.

Shot in luminous black-and-white, the group’s emotions feel starker as they contend with various disloyalties, unwanted confessions and unforgettable (unforgivable?) arguments. The 71-minute film only really utilizes four locations around the house: the kitchen, bathroom, living room and backyard. The camera’s focus moves flawlessly from one conversation (or solitude moment) to the next, maintaining the mood via its monotonous colour and disregard for the start of an exchange. The picture is tight and deftly acted as the seven-person cast never falters in conveying this utter emotional chaos, which is only being held in check by the stoniness of certain personalities. Audiences will be riveted as they watch these characters implode while dinner burns in the oven.

Writer/director Sally Potter’s script is a lean and sharp piece of writing that keeps the characters in constant transition as new details are revealed. It turns out none of the relationships represented at the dinner party are infallible as the cracks begin to show, or in some cases irreparably widen. But in spite of emotions running high, there are no dramatics or hysterics — these are sophisticated people who won’t allow themselves to look like Jerry Springer’s guests, even in the privacy of their home. Instead, their conversations are emotionally pointed and borderline rational, save for a few uncontrollable slaps and Spall’s brilliantly curious opening performance. This film is a master class in intimate stage acting in spite of the presence of a camera and the division of the screen.

Director: Sally Potter
Starring: Timothy Spall, Kristin Scott Thomas and Patricia Clarkson

Similar Posts

  • Review: ‘The 100-Year-Old Man’ has more fun than his younger counterparts (Includes first-hand account)

    When many people think of getting older, they equate it with life slowing down. Days of spontaneous escapades fade away, becoming nothing but memories shared with those who will listen. There have been a number of centenarians in the news recently, celebrating their 100-plus birthdays and divulging the secrets to long life. But none of them appear ready to go on a global adventure at a moment’s notice. However, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared isn’t your average senior.

  • Review: Nothing looks as good as ‘Planet Earth II’ in 4K (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s been 10 years since the BBC first mesmerized audiences with its best-selling, Emmy Award-winning natural history series, Planet Earth. It was definitively one of the most striking depictions of wildlife and their surrounding environments — until they released the sequel, Planet Earth II, which is at minimum its equal in jaw-dropping beauty and spellbinding images. The series is comprised of six, hour-long episodes bursting with one-of-a-kind footage and interesting facts once again narrated by David Attenborough… and for the first time, it is also being released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.

  • Review: Hot Docs’ ‘PACmen’ expands on craziness of the 2016 US election (Includes first-hand account)

    The American electoral system is a strange beast with many influencing heads. The system itself is questionably multi-tiered, while it seems an unknown number of external groups can also attempt to sway the vote in their desired direction. In 2010, two Supreme Court decisions led to the creation of the political action committee (PAC), which made it legal for these entities to engage in unlimited political spending as long they did not make contributions to candidate campaigns or parties. Unlike traditional PACs, a super PAC can raise funds from individuals, corporations, unions, and other groups without any legal limit on donation size. In 2015, PACmen became the first film to go behind the curtain of one of these groups.

  • Review: ‘Traders’ deals in humour and extraordinary enterprise (Includes first-hand account)

    Recession, unemployment, bankruptcy and general financial ruin. These are issues impacting people all over the world and there is no easy solution to the problem. As homes and belongings are threatened with foreclosure and repossession, people become desperate to find a way out. With the wolves at the door, even the most radical answer is better than no answer at all. In Traders, one man creates a gateway to an extreme resolution to people’s money troubles — though it doesn’t all go according to his plan.