Skip to main content

The Party Review: Caustic War of Words Will Knock the Wind Out of You


The laughs hurt so good, and the guests at this shindig treat each other like dartboards for 71 minutes. Yes, thats short for a movie, but your nerves couldnt take more. The Party is the work of Sally Potter, the gifted experimental filmmaker who had a seismic effect on world cinema with Orlando (1992), based on the Virginia Woolf novel and starring Tilda Swinton as an Elizabethan gent who morphs into a woman over the next four centuries. We bring this up only to prepare novices for the fact that Potter, in films diverse as The Tango Lesson (1997) and Ginger & Rosa (2012), plays by no ones rules but her own.

The Party kicks off with a stunning shot of the magnificent Kristin Scott Thomas as Janet, the agitated hostess; shes just opened the door of her posh London home and is now brandishing a gun at the unlucky guest whos knocked. Then its flashback time to set up the polite veneer of this festive occasion to celebrate Janets recent U.K. appointment as Health Minister. That facade, by the way, exists only so the director can dismantle it with a weaponized wit that takes no prisoners. The dazzling Patricia Clarkson is Janets best friend April; shes also the sharpest shooter when it comes to using words to wound. Is it too early to start talking about next years Oscars? We hope not, because Clarkson belongs with the top acting contenders.

Oscars 2018: 10 Nominees Long Overdue for a WinTop 30 Stephen King Movies, RankedThurston Moore: 5 Songs That Influenced Me Early On

Everyone tosses insults around like ping-pong balls. Aprils soon-to-be-dumped lover, Gottfried (Bruno Ganz), has no chance to escape censure given his profession as a life coach. Shut up, Gottfried, she orders. Your clichs are unbearable. April is equally tough on the hypocrisies she finds in radical feminist Martha (the superb Cherry Jones) and her partner, Jinny (Emily Mortimer), whos about to have triplets. Youre a a first-rate lesbian, April tells Martha, but a second-rate thinker. Ouch! Cillian Murphy is a manic wonder as Tom, a master of the financial universe married to a guest who hasnt yet arrived. He ducks Aprils verbal bullets mostly because he hides out in bathroom doing lines of blow while deciding what to do with the gun hes brought to the party.

Quietly taking center stage is Janets husband Bill, played by a brilliant Timothy Spall as a timebomb ready to explode. For the films first third, he just sits in his chair listening to music and looking shellshocked, having sacrificed his academic career so his wife could rise in politics. Then Bill starts issuing revelations too juicy to spoil. Lets just say that sex, drugs, infidelity and attempted murder all figure in the plot.

Shot in striking black-and-white by Alexey Rodionov, The Party ducks and weaves around Janets home looking to catch a character in an unguarded moment. Potter lets the air out of middle-class liberal elitism while refusing to use her characters as sign holders for her own beliefs. This is a movie about conversation, the kind that cuts deep. Potters movie may be too small to leave a substantial legacy. But you cant take your eyes off it, and the filmmaker and her cast serve up hilarious verbal fireworks that unexpectedly and indelibly knock the wind out of you.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Power of Appreciation

Is there anything more mysterious in theworld than the formula to having a successful romantic relationship? Asa divorced woman, I now marvel at those who are able to createpassionate, loving, long-term relationships. From my studies with booksand the school of hard knocks, I believe that one of the most importantingredients in relationships, of all kinds, is appreciation. What is Appreciation? Appreciation is likea much-needed rainfall to a farmer's crops that have been withering ina drought. Just as the crops start to shrivel and die without water,human relationships also start to feel brittle without a steadyapplication of the nourishing, even life-giving, impacts ofappreciation. The dictionary defines appreciation as "a favorablecritical estimate," "sensitive awareness" and "an expression ofadmiration, approval or gratitude." When you appreciate someone, youare tuned into a positive quality of another human being and expressyour gratitude for it. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Corporate ERP on Dynamics AX Deployment with Hub and Spokes Architecture

In certain business development scenarios you, as IT director of mid-market company have to respect existing structure and plan the evolution. This is especially true when your company expands in the way of acquisitions. Additional complication might be attributed to international business model, where you are acquiring established enterprise in the foreign country. In this small paper we would like to come through some popular theories and recommendations, where we suppose that you have Dynamics AX or formerly known as Axapta in your headquarters. If you are in Corporate ERP selection mode, we recommend you to consider AX in the case, when your policy is leaning toward Microsoft Dynamics products and technologies: 1.Why AX? First of all this ERP and MRP platform is recommended by Microsoft for the implementations in such industries as meat, fish and sea products, poultry, mining and oil drilling, distribution and logistics and with new version 2012 in public sector (GL fund managemen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Attic Fans

Attic and roof ventilation allows excess heat and moisture to escape at home to reduce summer cooling costs, pre-mature deterioration of roofing materials and condensation can lead to costly repairs. Effective attic ventilation relies on natural convection to pull air from the top to the bottom position, often in the open in Sofia, and the exhaust hot air from the ceiling vent in a higher position, such as through a gable, or open. Many new and existing homes are not ceilings, and its architecture can not afford soffits perforations for ventilation. While most households are conscious on the convenience brought by nicely ventilated homes, many tend to overlook the attic as one of the areas to be considered. No one finds it comfortable staying for long hours in the closed attic because of the overwhelming heat that builds up in it. For this reason, it is necessary for everyone to consider installing attic ventilation fans in order to cool down the attic's heat. This can have amazin...
Post a Comment
Read more