THE SKINNY
An aging actress and her flighty writer husband reunite with friends to celebrate their sixth anniversary.

THE BOTTOM LINE
The strong ensemble cast carries more weight than the script, but certainly worth checking out.

THE FULL REVIEW
A few moments of Halle Berry’s exposed breasts or two hours of terrific ensemble acting? That’s essentially how I viewed my options when faced with deciding which new movie to see this past weekend. And despite my overwhelming desire to see just how good the lovely Ms. Berry looked in the buff, I took a pass on Swordfish and opted for the more cerebral The Anniversary Party.

Cowritten and codirected by Jennifer Jason Leigh (eXistenZ, Single White Female, Fast Times at Ridgemont High) and Alan Cumming (Spy Kids, Dangerous Beauty, Golden Eye), The Anniversary Party offers a sneak peak into the lives of Sally and Joe Therrian, a movie actress and her novelist husband (also played by Leigh and Cumming), who have reconciled after a brief but painful separation. Sally and Joe decide to celebrate their sixth anniversary with their closest friends by throwing a party at their Hollywood Hills home. Sure, the evening is filled with eating, drinking, gift giving and loads of laughs. But more importantly, it is a night of introspection and revelation for just about everyone involved.

Audiences are likely to find The Anniversary Party reminiscent of the 1983 film The Big Chill. Both films feature an ensemble cast playing a close-knit group of mainly 30-something year old friends, whose relations with one another could perhaps best be described as quasi-incestuous. In addition, Kevin Kline plays a significant role in both films. That, however, is about where the comparisons should end. Unlike The Big Chill, which had a true sense of sincerity, Cumming and Leigh’s script often came across with an air of forced self-importance.

Still, The Anniversary Party, which does have several amusing moments and even some quite poignant ones, is a valiant effort by Cummings and Leigh. Or at least one that can be appreciated amidst the onslaught a mindless summer action and comedy flicks.

HIGHLIGHTS

   * The cast of course: Parker Posey, Phoebe Cates, Jane Adams (played the rigid dermatologist girlfriend of Niles on Frasier), John C. Reilly (The Perfect Storm, Magnolia, Boogie Nights), Jennifer Beals, Gwyneth Paltrow
   * Alan Cumming gave a strong performance and Jennifer Beals was surprisingly good.
   * A highly entertaining game of charades is played at the party
   * Jane Adams played a pathetically neurotic character named Claire that provided several amusing moments

LOWLIGHTS

   * Cummings and Leigh could have taken a bit more risk with their script
   * Difficult to feel any real empathy toward the characters

OTHER INFO

   * Nudity: Parker Posey and Jane Adams show their breasts
   * Violence: None
   * Humor: a fair amount

And, just in case you didn’t catch the outfit on Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie)Â at the MTV 2001 Movie Awards….