Actors' folly

>> The Anniversary Party is a loving but flawed ode to Altman

by MATTHEW HAYS

One can sense the passion codirectors and stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming have for the art and craft of acting while watching The Anniversary Party. Undoubtedly frustrated by the dearth of truly thoughtful roles for actors today, the two took things into their own hands and, armed with inexpensive digital video cameras, made their own movie.

It helps to have A-list actor friends, who also populate the movie. Kevin Kline, Gwyneth Paltrow, Phoebe Cates, Parker Posey and Jennifer Beals all appear in spirited roles. Cumming and Leigh, as the film's central characters, play a couple who have recently weathered a severe breakup. After deciding to get back together, they also choose to celebrate their six years together with an anniversary party. The film then unfolds as the party does.

Films about celebrations, like weddings or anniversaries, are tricky things to do well. Standouts include The Celebration and Don's Party. Ironically enough, the man whose influence can be felt throughout this film, Robert Altman, created one of his least interesting films of this type in the nuptials-inspired A Wedding.

On this level, The Anniversary Party succeeds only to an extent. The first half of the film is excellent, full of funny and offbeat moments the actors are clearly relishing. Leigh, as an actress whose career is faltering only due to her advancing years, and Cumming, as an author on the cusp of major success, are brilliant, while Cates delivers a hilariously dark monologue about how having children has robbed her of the suicide option.

But true to stereotype, Leigh and Cumming couldn't resist taking an intriguing episodic ensemble movie and cranking up the volume to operatic levels. Who can necessarily blame them? They are actors, after all. The weird things that so often go on at parties take place, pleasingly enough, and then all hell breaks loose, with virtually every imaginable plot twist pulled out of a hat. At this point, The Anniversary Party abandons credibility as a story and enters the realm of actor's exercise.

Actors won't forgive me for this statement. But by final credits, I wished there'd been a director on hand (like Altman, say) to reign all those egos in and let the movie truly succeed.

The Anniversary Party opens Friday, June 15