Anniversary Party

Pros: Fascinating, perceptive, with skilled cast
Cons: Slow-paced, seems like a variation of a John Hughes film

"The Anniversary Party" is the story of a special day in the life of a Hollywood celebrity couple and the people who have a love/hate relationship with them. The day starts uneventfully for actress Sally Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh, "Fast Times At...

Pros: Acting, Dialogue, Music, Characters
Cons: Plot (and lack thereof), Pacing

I had been hearing quite a bit of hype about this movie before I went to see it. If I remember correctly, the review that really sparked my interest appeared in The Advocate (This would have been the issue with the cute, thin guy from Queer as...

Pros: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Robert Cumming, cast in good story. Excellent digital video, editing and music.
Cons: A bit long, and perhaps too ambitious.

Morning in Hollywood's Laurel Canyon. Birds are singing The dog is frisking. The Latina maids are pulling the day together for their employees at the rancher home of Joe and Sally. Novelist-turned-director Joe Therrians (Robert Cumming) is back in...

Pros: Brilliant script, acting and budget makes this one of the best recent films.
Cons: The film has some elements that won't appeal to everyone.

The Anniversary Party is by any definition, a tremendous accomplishment. The sheer triumph of making a film with numerous "name" Hollywood actors for less than $4 million is jaw-dropping in today's environment. The fact that this film was filmed...

Pros: A sharp and observant first half
Cons: A bloated and self-indulgent second half

I was expecting "The Anniversary Party", co-written and co-directed by Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh, to be a loosely-scripted, improv-heavy excuse for a bunch of their actor friends to get together in front of the camera and show off their...

Pros: Sharp, satirical verbal sparring that's, at times, very funny and excellent performances.
Cons: Drugs (ecstasy), booze and adultery are on the menu.

When you and I make home movies, they're make-shift affairs on a camcorder with family and friends. But when Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming decided to make their own independent, low-budget movie, they recruited some heavy-hitting pals, like...

Pros: Eclectic group of talented actors.
Cons: Various stories don't always feel connected.

This unusual movie successfully manages to juggle over a dozen characters through the course of a long anniversary party. It starts with guests making friendly conversations with each other about their lives and work, and ends with some emotional...

Pros: Some fiery and some beautifully subtle acting. The best-looking film shot on video I've seen.
Cons: Maybe one or two things over the top. Would the Roses really have been invited?

Co-written and co-directed and co-starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming, The Anniversary Party might seem to those who haven’t seen it like a self-indulgent actorly exercise in which the filmmakers also cast their friends to participate...

Pros: Some very talented actors flex their muscle.
Cons: Rambles on. No centralized cohesive vision.

With The Anniversary Party, a gang of actors have done away with those "tiresome" middle-men that slow the acting process down - writers, directors, and movie cameras - and shot, edited, and sold a commercial product using digital video to Fine...

Pros: acting, script, original plot, extremely engaging
Cons: none

It’s not often that a couple of actors decide to write/produce/direct/star in their own feature film. Even when that does occur, it’s not often that the results are much more than a self indulgent mess. However, this is definitely not the case...

Pros: Unique camera work
Cons: Painfully slow at times

I was probably foolish to pick a movie based on a single recommendation, but one of my acquaintances had raved about it. Since I hadn't heard anything else about the film, I decided to give it a shot. The decision turned out to be a mistake. My...

Pros: Great drama, healthy dash of humor, good acting, well cast
Cons: Some of the problems the characters face are kind of petty.

The Hollywood lifestyle is often depicted as a lifestyle filled with glitz, glamour and decadence. Alan Cummings and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s The Anniversary Party is a sincere glimpse into one Hollywood couple’s world, and offers an interesting ...

Pros: very cool house, a few unforgettable lines of dialogue, Jane Adams
Cons: Jennifer Jason Leigh, pacing, story

I went to see this movie after it only being out for two days in Seattle. I was excited to see it, and although I hadn't read any reviews, the plot summary looked inviting. I also enjoy ensemble casts such as this.

I left the theatre empty...

Pros: The cast. The script. Everything in the first half. Very sharp and very funny.
Cons: The ecstasy sequence. Unsatisfying ending.

The Anniversary Party is a film you might expect to be self-indulgent for the same reason that every actor on the planet has often coined the phrase "What I really want to do is direct." Well, as far as I'm concerned, if one person should attempt her...

Pros: Good acting, sharp dialogue
Cons: Occasionally falls prey to cookie-cutter plotting

Apparently, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming share a secret desire to be a part of Our Gang, evidenced by this very rascally "Hey kids, let's put on a show!" endeavor. Hollywood, rife with cronyism, has rarely approached the level ...