Rent The Party (2017)

Best film I've seen in years - The Party review by MH

This unusual, off-the-edge film is really, really good. For once in her life Kristen Scott-Thomas actually acts, instead of just relying on looking enigmatic, and golly, can she act! Timothy Spall turns in his usual reliable performance, and all the other actors give good performances - with the exception of Emily Mortimer, who seems to think looking pained is acting (did you see the TV film about the children sent to Australia? I rest my case).

The plot is exceptional, and although I felt afterwards I should have worked out the denouement from the opening scene, I didn't see it coming at all and it was brilliant. The black and white photography and dark humour rounded off an excellent film.

Batman and James Bond it ain't, and thank goodness!

Excellent - a well written and intricately constructed film - The Party review by RD

Along the lines of Abigail's Party, this brings the theme up to date, and not much time is wasted with niceties as each character lays bare their insults and weaknesses. The characters are extreme, and the dialogue and action is fast paced.

The unusual and wide choice of music that Timothy Spall plays throughout most of the film on his record player is wonderful and adds a lot to the edgy nature of the film. Great acting from all characters make it a film very worthwhile watching.

The extra feature on the disc shows "the making of" and is in colour, showing the set in its full splendour, and I can't help feeling the picture would be even better in colour than black and white.

Wordy, worthy, stage-y Islington dinner party theatre play - The Party review by PV

This film has a top notch cast - though one suspects that several Americans have been added to give it appeal in the US. Ditto for the pc gay baby subplot.

It is really a play for theatre, and would work much better there. No good reason for it to be in black and white, other than artistic pretention (which the director Sally Potter is known for maybe). NO surprise at all that it's state-subsidised by the BBC and lottery-funding.

I just didn't believe the plot, frankly (no spoilers) and some of the dialogue was text book stagey - though thankfully the whole this is mercifully short at just over an hour. But boy, is it smug! These people live in a £3 million London house, isolated from the problems many out there in the real world face, yet are so self-absorbed I couldn't have cared less if bad things had happened to any one of them.

So I would have given it 2 stars or 2 and a half. BUT this gets 1 star for the following reason: it depicts DISGUSTING domestic violence against a man - by a woman. Now, imagine if that had been the other way round eh? That would never have been deemed pc or able to be shown on screen. But as per usual, it is just fine to show domestic against men - which comprises 40%+ of domestic violence actually, though our media show women as perpetual victims and men as perpetual abusers - a lie, basically, but one maintained by feminists.

So no stars at all.

However,