Video Americain

Review

What is unspoken by the guests attending the sixth anniversary party of Joe and Sally, a novelist and his actress wife who are newly reconciled, is as piercing as the truths and gossip verbalized by these Hollywood insiders who spend an evening drinking, eating, game-playing and drug-taking. Written and directed by Cumming and Leigh in their feature-film debuts, The Anniversary Party is an entertaining, often witty examination of Hollywood personalities and what makes them tick. Cumming and Leigh are Joe and Sally, who are hosting their first party since a recent split. They've tried to surround themselves with close friends, but as everyone attending this evening will discover, not all plans come to full term. Cumming and Leigh nicely avoid the usual clichés of movie folk, shading everyone with pleasing strokes of familiarity and dimension, which certainly makes for a blessing when the party heads in an unexpected direction. Ultimately, the film's dissection of the self-absorbed may not break new ground in character analysis, but this remains a diverting peek into the lives of the famous as well as a marriage on the rocks.