THE PARTY

UK, 2017, 77 minutes, Black and white.
Kristin Scott Thomas, Timothy Spall, Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Cherry Jones, Emily Mortimer, Cillian Murphy.
Directed by Sally Potter.

Over the decades Sally Potter has made quite a number of interesting, often offbeat films, remembering Orlando, The Man who Cried, Rage, and Ginger and Rosa.

In this film, photographed in very effective and sharp black-and-white, she also shows how much material can be condensed into 77 minutes of running time.

It is something like this: Sally Potter has called on several top actors, three British, two Americans, an Irishman and a German, written them some very sharp and telling dialogue, directed them to interact with each other, mounting tension as the film goes on, many in the audience remembering the effect of this kind of social drama in the confines of a meal as in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

The film opens with Janet, Kristin Scott Thomas, opening the front door and raising a revolver. We have to wait only about 75 minutes to know what this is all about – and be surprised. Kristin Scott Thomas portrays a politician who has just been announced as an opposition minister, for health, having campaigned long and hard and put her socialist principles into practice. This is the other meaning of the Party, the political party. Then we see Bill, her husband, sitting depressed and forlorn, rather haggard and not with it, listening to music, waiting for the guests for a celebratory meal. He is played by Timothy Spall.

The first visitors to arrive are April and Gottfried, Patricia Clarkson and Bruno Ganz, an unlikely couple, she very sardonic, even cynical, American, close friend of Janet, full of opinions and certainly in no way hesitant to express them, some offhand, some calculated – and often the calculation is to upset and hurt. On the other hand, Gottfried is a genial German who admires April immensely even though she expresses the desire to separate from him and keeps putting him down in front of everyone. He is a personal coach, anti-Western medicine, interested in breathing, self-help, self-healing, and considering doctors’ diagnoses the equivalent of voodoo or curses.

The next couple to arrive and Martha and her partner Jinny, Cherry Jones and Emily Mortimer. Martha is an intellectual, university professor, trendy in many ways, common-sensed. Jinny is much younger and is about to announce that she is not only pregnant but is expecting twins, more than a shock for Martha.

Another couple is expected, husband, Tom, Cillian Murphy, and Maryann who does not arrive. He easily breaks out in a sweat despite his very dapper suit, and relies on cocaine fixes in an attempt to calm his anxiety. He has also brought a gun but decides to throw it into a garbage bin.

This review, having introduced the characters, will leave the rest for the audience to experience, be surprised at, sometimes laugh, sometimes be dismayed, wonder about human nature and its follies and foibles.

Each of the characters has a story. Many of the stories are intertwined and cause quite some surprise and anxiety, outbursts of affection, outbursts of violence, and the problem whether Janet will continue in her role as the new minister.

In fact, a well-written, well-directed, well-acted, contemporary issues drama.

1. The convention of the social event, preparation, guests, situations, revelations, antagonisms, upsets, emotional twists?

2. The black-and-white photography and its sharpness? The editing and the focus on the rooms, kitchen, bathroom, back courtyard? The focus on particular characters, their faces, the responses?

3. The musical score, Jerusalem during the opening credits, Bill and his playing the range of records and the records when he was unconscious?

4. The prologue, Janet coming to the door, the gun? The resumption at the end, Tom and his gun, Janet finding it, April urging her to be violent, including murder? The revelation of the final betrayal?

5. The focus on Bill, looking terrible, listening to the music, sitting in the chair? People greeting him? Janet acknowledging his support? Martha and the memories of their friendship? His revelation that he was terminally ill? The effect on him? The variety of responses, cerebral arguments? Gottfried and his theories, therapies, feelings, despising of Western medicine, admitting surgery could help? Bill and the revelation about his relationship with Marianne? Tom urging him to the truth? Janet and her shock, hitting her husband? Tom punching him out, their thinking he was dead? Bill wanting to live, but with Marianne? His having felt neglected by Janet?

6. The focus on Janet, the announcement of her elevation to opposition ministry, for health? Her personality, calm, the congratulatory phone calls, the sly secret phone calls and texts? Her cooking, linking compared to Mrs Thatcher? Greeting the guests, her relationship with each of them? April on the long friendship, support? Her reaction to the different information and news? Bill and his terminal illness and her shock, not knowing? Her wanting to resign, staying to look after him? His saying that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Marianne, Janet’s anger, punching him, chewing her wrist? Trying to cope, the burnt canapés, in the rubbish, discovering the gun, taking it, going to the bathroom, April cajoling her? The final message – and the relationship with Marianne? Yet her estimation of herself, her commitment to government, processes, her campaigning?

7. April, cynical and sardonic, her aphorisms, the continued criticisms of Gottfried and his sayings, her control of situations, theoretical suggestions? Her reaction to Bill’s illness? To the news about Martha and Jinny and the triplets? Interactions with Tom? The discussions with Janet, in the kitchen, after the news, in the bathroom, her encouraging Janet?

8. Gottfried, German, admiring April, her condemning him and saying she was separating, comparing the others with his reactions? Sitting on the floor, on the sofa, his comments about life, his comment about health, alternative methods, Eastern methods, condemning Western medicine, curses and voodoo, condemning doctors and diagnoses? Indicating the people could heal themselves? Or that surgery could be helpful? Interactions with Tom, Bill’s collapse, trying to revive him? The irony of Janet being able to hit Bill’s chest and bring him to consciousness?

9. Martha, professor, theories, cerebral? Her relationship with Jinny, not going to the tests, the news about the triplets? Her being afraid? Her reaction to Bill’s illness, to the revelation about Marianne, of making her flat available for them to meet? Jinny, younger, in love with Martha, the marriage ceremony and the vows, triplets, her being sick, helping in the kitchen with the burnt canapés, suspicious of Tom, especially about the garbage and the gun? Her shock at hearing the relationship between Martha and Bill, her disgust? Wanting to move away, Martha and her explanations and pleas?

10. Tom, hyperactive, financier, the expensive suit, nervous arrival, sweating, the cocaine, in the bathroom, the gun and his putting it in the garbage? Helping Jinny with the burning food?
The anxiety, love for his wife, forcing Bill to tell the truth? His punching Bill? Trying to revive him?

11. The status of each of the characters at the end, April and Gottfried perhaps staying together, Martha and Jinny together, especially for the triplets? Bill and his illness, wanting to be with Marianne? Tom in a state of despair? Janet and her anger – and the gun?

12. The effect of this kind of ensemble work, social events and truth telling seriously and in games?