Here’s a Cillian Murphy film you might’ve missed out on!
Film Synopsis: Janet hosts an intimate gathering of friends in her London home to celebrate her political ascension. After her acerbic best friend and others arrive, some with dramatic news to share, an announcement by Janet’s husband provokes a series of revelations. As the sophisticated soiree starts to unravel, a night that began with champagne soon ends with arguments, shouting and a pointed gun.
Patricia Clarkson, Cillian Murphy, Timothy Spall and Kristin Scott Thomas star in this multicast dinner-party-from-hell classic. Over 70 minutes of indie perfection and mumblecore, The Party is a fierce insight into the intricate relationship between prevailing norms and personal motivations in politics.
In the movie, Marianne remains an enigmatic figure, absent from the screen, yet a topic of intense conversation and conflict between Timothy Spall’s character, who yearns for love and intellect, and Cillian Murphy’s Tom, who values wealth and business. “She wants love and ideas, not money and business,” Bill confronts Tom in the film. Much like Britain, Marianne becomes a symbol of contested values; never shown, yet her presence is much discussed, fervently debated and, at times, even contested over with subject to physical violence. It’s the classic duel of ideals vs money, both equally passionate in their affection towards Marianne, but each failing in their own means.
Released in 2017, and filmed just as the Brexit vote took place, Potter’s unmissable agenda with The Party was to shed light on the potential consequences when individuals drift away from their core principles. In the movie, the tangible embodiment of Love and Ideals undergoes a vital resurrection – a poignant revival to compel others to confront the stark reality of their degradation.
The Party eloquently conveys the idea that “personal is political,” underscoring how individual struggles with their ideals resonate and reverberate in the broader political landscape. Each character grapples with their own set of principles, adding depth and complexity to the intertwined narrative of personal journeys shaping larger societal and political dimensions.
Despite its classic black and white presence, the tragicomedy employs dry tongue-in-cheek satire to remind us of its contemporary age. “You’re a first-class lesbian and a second-rate thinker, Martha” has to be one of the most memorable dialogues from the film. “It’s an antidote to massive budget films with millions of special effects,” says Porter in a press conference while talking about how she hoped to find something “peculiarly human” beneath the layers of heavily produced films. While it appears to be an on-the-nose, dialogue-heavy film, it conceals profound undercurrents of dramatic metaphors. Those devoid of appreciation of all metaphoric depth may be advised to pass on this cinematic delight.
Mansi Bhatia
Mansi is the Co-Founder of The Blahcksheep. An independent journalist, writer, and musician, she is currently pursuing screenwriting from New York Film Academy in Burbank, LA. She is often found overwrought with overthought; plagued by the idea of losing – of oneself and of the other. She is an avid archiver of memories and feels strongly for the cause of ecological-justice. Most of her written work revolves around the idle optimism of love regained. She goes by the stage name Vyznn. Her instagram handle is @mansibee
