The Party Dir: Sally Potter

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Starring: Kristin Scott Thomas, Timothy Spall, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer, Cillian Murphy, Cherry Jones, Bruno Ganz

Oh what fun! The Party is a delicious British black comedy that owes a serious debt to Mike Nichols’ classic Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?

The Party is basically a play shot on film…glorious black and white to be precise.

All the action takes place on one evening in one location.

Director and screenwriter Sally Potter (Orlando, The Tango Lesson) has assembled a stellar cast to play these characters.

We have Kristin Scott Thomas as Janet, a left-leaning politician who has just been named Minister Of Health. Her husband, Tom is played by Timothy Spall. Then we have cynical best friend April as portrayed by the wonderful Patricia Clarkson. Rounding out the ensemble cast is long-time friend and feminist Martha, played by Cheery Jones with Emily Mortimer as her newly-pregnant partner Jinny, Bruno Ganz is April’s new-age husband Gottfried and finally, Cillian Murphy is the odd man out. He plays Tom, husband of Janet’s unseen colleague who is due to appear at the party later.

The party in question in honour of Janet’s recent promotion to the minister’s post.

As is the case with these things, all the characters are sharply drawn, with Patricia Clarkson as the cynical alpha female getting most of the best lines as she continually tells her well-meaning husband Gottfried to “shut up” as he spouts new age platitudes (he’s a “life coach”).

Things get really interesting when Tom arrives, heading immediately to the “lavatory” for a toot and then brandishing a firearm.

As the evening progresses, secrets are revealed, relationships threatened and blows are thrown. Along the way various contemporary issues are given a good going over including feminism, the state of democracy (the film was shot as the Brexit vote was taking place) and the state of the National Health Service. By the end of the night, no one is left unscathed.

It’s all served up with plenty of bon mots and verbal jousting as Potter steers us directly into the film’s surprise ending.

Shot in just two weeks and running at just 71 minutes, The Party moves along briskly, although there are a few moments when the seams show in the filmmaking.

But overall, if you enjoy watching a superb group of actors working at the top of their game, then The Party is the place to be.

Marty Duda

 

 

Marty Duda
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