Arthouse favorite Sally Potter, director of The Tango Lesson and Orlando, returns with an efficiently written film called The Party. Kristin Scott Thomas plays Janet, the party host and a successful London parliament politician who approaches life with an idealistic point of view. The celebration takes a turn for the worst as confessions are told, marital affairs are exposed and a pointed gun is inevitable. Bruno Ganz is wonderful as Gottfried, a life coach whose focus on meditation and mindfulness is a source of irritation for his current love interest April (played by the magnificent Patricia Clarkson), a realist who approaches the events unfolding around her with honest clarity. Martha (Cherry Jones) and Jinny (Emily Mortimer) play a lesbian couple whose pregnancy with male triplets present a direct challenge to Jinny's feminist view that all men are evil. As April points out, she has three of them inside of her.
The natural and honest dialogue is a screenwriting wonder because so much is accomplished within the short running time regarding sex, religion, politics and feminism. The story features complex characters whose intentions are never revealed too early and no one is completely innocent. The characters are identifiable, empathetic and Potter wisely keeps the antagonist Marianne off-screen.
The Party is shot in black and white cinematography and compliments the minimal, yet effective production design because the audience is given a direct reference point of the social status of the partygoers and host. The Party is a delicious film and highly recommended.
🎬🎬🎬🎬 (4 out of 4)
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