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The Anniversary Party 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh
R, 115 min. (profanity, drug use, nudity) |
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Starring: Alan Cumming, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kevin Kline, Phoebe Cates, Jane Adams, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Beals, Denis O'Hare, Mina Badie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Parker Posey
Producers: Alan Cumming, Jennifer J. Leigh, Joanne Sellar
Screenplay: Alan Cumming, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Cinematography: John Bailey
Distributor: Fine Line Features
Released: 6.08.01 (Limited) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
The Anniversary Party has a lot going for it - mainly the chance to see what a private Hollywood party might be like.
We're like a fly on the wall, listening in to every intimate moment between successful actors, directors, writers, and even
the next door neighbors. Directors Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh have fashioned an intriguing look into their
lives as actors and friends, and how they deal with relationships that turn sour. The film's intimate feel comes from its
miniscule budget and short filming schedule (4 weeks), and although it's shot amost entirely in and around a glass house,
you never get the uneasiness that comes from other claustrophobic-like films. Satisfying and revealing, The Anniversary
Party is a success on almost every level.
The story takes place during an annivesary party for up-and-coming director, Joe (Cumming), and his actress wife of six years,
Sally (Leigh). Their marriage had previously been through some rocky times and now they are celebrating their reunion
and a fresh start. Attending the party are Cal and Sophie Gold (Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates), an actor past his prime and
his actress wife who has retired to raise their children; a photographer (Jennifer Beals) who's also Joe's best friend; a
successful director (John C. Reilly) and his anxious wife (Jane Adams); Sally's best friend (Michael Panes); the irritating
neighbors (Denis O'Hare and Mina Badie); and a young actress, Skye Davidson (Gwyneth Paltrow), who is about to appear in Joe's
first film. The guests are typically well-behaved until some ecstasy is introduced later that night, when everyone's inhibitions
are gone and their true feelings are revealed to one another.
At first Joe and Sally are very happy, and so, too, are the guests, who take turns praising Joe and Sally's marraige and their
future happiness. Slowly, the cracks lying just beneath the surface become exposed through alcohol and drugs, resulting
in an examination of each character and their hidden secrets and fears. In the film's climactic scene, we see Joe and Sally
screaming at each other on top of hill overlooking Los Angeles below, with desperation and revealed hatred for each other's
faults. It's a riveting scene. Other relationships are also explored, including the neighbors' perceived notions about the rich
and famous, and how they're really not that much different from them. Also, Sally's intense jealousy of Skye, both for her
part in Joe's film and her percieved relationship with him, is brought to light in a very uncomfortable moment.
The actors in the film are supposedly close friends of both Cummings and Leigh, and were chosen to portray characters
very close to their own real-life roles. The effectiveness of the film hinges on this aspect, and, to its credit, is very
believable in that regard. For example, it's easy to see why Leigh might be jealous of a younger actress like Paltrow, or
how an older actor such as Kline might harken to the days when he could play the lead role in a romantic film. This,
more than any other reason, is why the film works so well.
It's interesting how successful actors such as the ones involved in this film would make a film about how the average
person might perceive them, or what they might want to know about their lives. Cummings and Leigh correctly hypothesize
that although somewhat elitist, their lives are more or less similar to the average person's life. There are ups and downs,
emotional problems, and uncontrolled outbursts. But in the end, they realize that people find comfort in the idea
that they aren't the only ones suffering.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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