The Lost Highway For 12.28.05: The Anniversary Party
Posted by Mary Markham on 12.29.2005
A day in the life of your typical deluded, privileged, and shallow residents of la la land
I have watched so many films about Hollywood life. Parodies of actors, situations and the studio system politics. Most of them are impersonal at best (“The Player”) or horrific and nerve-wracking (“Swimming with Sharks”) or just plain boring (“Postcards from the Edge”). I live in Los Angeles. I’ve worked in production. I’ve been around “film” people, famous actors, directors, etc. For me “The Anniversary Party” captures or parodies if you will, aspects of the Hollywood lifestyle perfectly.
This movie is the love child born from two gifted actors, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming. This was a project that the two wrote, directed, starred in and funded themselves. It was a labor of love which gave them the opportunity to have complete creative control over how they perceive the life they live. The movie is simply about a couple throwing a party in honor of their six year anniversary. I suppose simple isn’t the correct word to use when you are dealing with the upper echelon of the movie industry. Leigh and Cumming play the recently reunited married celebrity couple Sally Nash and Joe Therrian. Both are in their late thirties and are at different pinnacles in their respective careers. Sally is approaching the time in an actress’s life when age and longevity become an issue while Joe is an author who has just written his first screenplay which he also gets to direct. The fragile nature of their relationship is evident from the beginning of the film and reaches barbaric levels at the tumultuous climax towards the end.
The beauty of this film is its intimacy and I don’t mean the actual film itself but the ensemble casting of their friends and the freedom they had while making the movie. It is a desperate if not rather unforgiving look at the lives of the privileged. It almost feels like a documentary. Lots of improvisation and of course working in the studio system for years lends a harsh honesty to the performances. Jennifer Jason Leigh’s real life best friend Phoebe Cates (what a treat to see her on screen!) plays the serene Sophia Gold wife to real life husband Kevin Kline aka Cal Gold along with their children Greta and Owen! Jason Leigh’s half sister Mina Badie plays Monica Rose (I met her and she is lovely!). Jennifer Beals plays Gina, Joe’s ex flame. Beals is stunning still to this day and what beautiful grace she has as an actress. My favorite film stealer is Jane Adams as the incredibly neurotic actress Clair Forsyth. She is so engaging and quirky as Clair. I could watch her for hours. Her husband, director Mac Forsyth played so truthfully by John C. Reilly (reminds me a bit of the late Ted Demme) shows up to the party with dailies of his current film! Typical! There is no rest for the wicked in Hollywood. And then there is the rest of the brilliant cast. Parker Posey, John Benjamin Hickey (amazing!), Matt Malloy, Michael Panes (dead ringer for Peter Sellers), Gwyneth Paltrow, etc, etc. etc. (again, we all know how I feel about ensemble acting!)
I don’t have a lot to say about the plot of this film except that it is sadly genius. Two hours of watching actors portraying actors could be tedious or nauseating at best but the artistry of the DV work and the edginess of the performers pull you in kicking and screaming until the bitter end. What I love about this film is it’s blatant slap in the face to the shallow, stupefied world of Hollywood. The layers of insecurities and feigning of interests is so real here in Los Angeles. But it also forces you to take notice of the humanity of these people as well. There is no escaping it. It ain’t all glitz and glamour!
I will say this, however, I hope that this film encourages other artists to take risks in filmmaking or standing up to the studio systems with their suits and their rules. I can also say that as a woman in her mid thirties I was so relieved to watch these beautiful women in all their natural glory. To see depth and wrinkles and idiosyncrasies and fallibilities. It was reassuring. It reminded me of that magical decade in film history: the 70’s. Where women had juicy roles full of piss and vinegar. Where they weren’t plasticized carbon copies of each other playing at stereotypical roles with their male counterparts. I miss that in film. “The Anniversary Party” reminds me of that decade. It reminds me of great promise in acting and art. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it certainly is worth a watch.
Please feel free to leave me feedback. It’s always welcome!
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