The Party (2017)
“Look, if Dennis Thatcher and Prince Phillip could trail behind their female leaders then so can Bill.” – April.
The Party (2017)
Directed by: Sally Potter
Written by: Sally Potter, Walter Donohue (story editor)
Starring: Kristen Scott Thomas, Timothy Spall, Cillian Murphy, Patricia Clarkson
You know those parties where a couple ends up fighting and everyone else watches on in satisfied amazement? Well, that’s this party, except everyone in attendance gets dragged into the fight. Hostess Janet (Thomas), a newly promoted governmental minister, invites six friends over to celebrate. However, the seven silver-tongued British socialites soon end up exchanging barbs when one guest’s little secret spirals out of control.
Pure chaotic fun from start-to-finish – with the finish a blissfully efficient 72 minutes after you press play, mind you – this has got to be one of the greatest screenplays ever written. As in, ‘this-screenplay-will-inspire-generations-of-aspiring-screenwriters’ good. Writer-director Sally Potter embraces the aristocratic snobbery and contradictions of high-society while lampooning bigger human concerns like love, self-worth, and religious beliefs. All set in the one house. It’s a screenwriter’s dream! A banker argues about the morality of money with a philosophy professor just minutes after ingesting a huge line of cocaine; a reality TV chef argues the validity of modern medicine with a ‘holistic life coach’; a newly pregnant lesbian questions the sexual history of her partner. All of these colourful exchanges add a little bit more fuel to the rampaging fire, culminating in an explosive final act.
The cast is nothing short of phenomenal, but no one steals the show as:
They’re all so ridiculously talented that it’s impossible to stand out. There are very few actors on the planet who could differentiate themselves in a cast with Kristen Scott Thoman, Cillian Murphy, Timothy Spall, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer, Bruno Ganz and Cherry Jones.
It’s presented more like a stage play. Characters say their piece, leave a room, and we are swiftly swept into another conversation, keeping the main narrative humming while sifting us through their individual stories. This makes the 72 minutes feel more like 30, the narrative feel warm and engaging, and the end feel perfectly timed.
This is a masterpiece. Watch it.
Rating: 9/10