1
No matter what class you are in (if we admit there is), the so-called happy time is when there are no worries and everything goes well. In other words, happy times are enjoyable and miserable times are unbearable. In fact, life is that simple. No matter what class you are, or where you are, happiness and pain are only staged and cannot last for a long time, just like two wheels on a car, keeping pace and rolling forward.
So, I don't think Sally Porter's The Cocktail Party (2017) is just about the emptiness and lack of the bourgeoisie. In fact, human nature itself has the factor of false pattern. Everyone also has a very boring time. This black-and-white film of only 70 minutes was shot for only two weeks, and it was narrowly defeated by "Flesh and Spirit" at the Berlin Film Festival. The film gathered big stars such as Kristin Scott Thomas, Cillian Murphy, Timo Sispo and so on. This shows the appeal of the female director.
Humans, as the most complex animals in the world, come from different levels and upbringings, and gather in the cramped space of a family, they will always stage a mysterious and unexpected drama. What's rare is that the film's style is simple, the narrative is clean and neat, and the characters are distinct, which constitutes a very vivid, witty and noisy scene. I have to admit that black and white, in a limited space, create a mysterious atmosphere that is more in line with a certain atmosphere that is difficult to detect. It also adds a sense of mystery to the film.
It is with this black and white texture that the film is full of sophistication and elegance. In addition, the bright and dark lighting enriches the characters of the characters, showing the different ideas of this group of people. A variety of teasing and naughty soundtracks also add a lot to the film. This film reminds me of the Italian film "The Fluctuating Information Sharing", except that everyone focuses on the mobile phone, this one revolves around the incident caused by Billy's illness, the same family gathering, the same interpretation of the dark and complex human nature.
2
The hostess Jenny (Kristin Scott Thomas) put on a big family dinner. While busy in the kitchen, she did not forget to take out her mobile phone from her chest and whisper sweetly to her lover. Is it saying that everyone has their own little secret. The first couple were Gao Fei and Aibo. Goofy sits next to the host, Billy (Timo Cispo). Billy was staring blankly and in a trance, listening to the blues like a drunk.
The second one was female professor Martha. As Aibo said, Jenny's "woman on the outside, man on the inside" also applies to her. The third is Ginny, a young woman. Ginny felt a little silly, and when Martha saw her, she hugged and hugged, and the two whispered in the yard together, feeling like a pair of lovers. Yes, they used to be lovers. It was just that Ginny had a family, already had two boys, and was pregnant with another.
The fourth is Tom (Cillian Murphy), who says his wife Marian came later. The neurotic Tom is the most dangerous character in the film. As soon as he arrived, he rushed to the bathroom, took drugs, and fiddled with the pistol he had brought with him. His face twitched so dangerously. I can't help but ask, who is he going to take revenge on. It seems that his unease stems from his great dissatisfaction with himself. In the first 10 minutes of the film, the identity of the characters is clearly explained.
A good show is about to happen. When they all came to the living room, they were congratulating the hostess, Jenny, who was about to be promoted to the Minister of Health. At this moment, Bill, who said nothing, suddenly spoke up. He said that he was going to die and had liver cancer. The doctor's diagnosis was not fake. Wife Jenny said with a sad face, Bill has been giving me a lot, because I gave up my degree from Yale University, I want to resign and take care of him wholeheartedly. But it was Tom who was most anxious. He fell into a hole in the ice and ran to the trash can outside, ready to throw away the pistol.
In other words, it was Tom who he wanted to take revenge on, but when he was going to die, revenge would be meaningless. Ginny saw his panic and became suspicious. Tom yelled at her that I just wanted to save the marriage. It seemed to activate Billy. Billy said yes, I had a good time with Marianne, a year, no, two years, had that a few times.
3
This immediately made Jenny collapse. Just now they were arguing over how to cure Billy's condition. As a result, such a big scorpion came out. As if Billy was intent on taking revenge on his wife. Jenny was furious and slapped Billy straight up. You can't go with anyone, but it's Marianne. You know, Marianne is Jenny's subordinate. This made Jenny completely unbearable.
Just now, Jenny was sadly prepared to quit even the Minister of Health and to take care of him with all her heart, but now she collapsed immediately. I didn't expect that this guy who was going to die would actually have such a hand, but it was her subordinate. She ran to the bathroom, and Aibo, who was watching the fun, came to comfort her. This kind of comfort is more like adding oil and vinegar, but it can make Jenny listen. Come to think of it, Jenny texted her lover earlier, "Bill is sick and we're done."
She really felt sorry for Billy and needed her to accompany him through the final journey of his life. But now it's all over. This means that Bill will be dead, his lover may be gone, and Jenny will be left with nothing. Think about it, sad enough. And Martha and Ginny were also arguing outside the hospital for their own concerns. For Ginny, it became impossible to be with the laid-back Martha, not to mention she was pregnant.
The most swollen was Tom. Looking at Billy who was about to die, he punched him. Unexpectedly, Billy fell unconscious and rolled his eyes. This time, Tom's bowels are so anxious that he regrets it, why bother, he is going to die, there is really no need for me to come here all of a sudden, but I have to bear legal responsibility. Calmly, Gao Fei called Billy, but got no response.
Goofy asked him to play music, Billy liked music so much, to see if he could wake him up. One after another, still haven't woken up. In desperation, I had to call Jenny and the others over. Jenny came up stupid, why did Billy go, Billy, Billy. Fortunately, Billy woke up again. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. This banquet must not cause people's lives, otherwise everyone will not be able to eat and walk around.
4
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Jenny gestured, everyone don't go, it's Marianne, I'll go. Earlier, Jenny took out the trash and picked up the pistol that Tom had dropped, which came in handy. As soon as she opened the door, she banged two shots at Marianne. Can you do it? Of course. You know, Marianne is her lover. Jenny couldn't bear that it was Marianne and Billy, not Billy and Marianne.
Yes, she didn't care who Billy was with, but what she couldn't tolerate was that Marian she loved was with someone else, no matter if it was Billy, man or woman. What a mess. Is this peculiar to the bourgeoisie? Full of warmth and lust. In fact, this is unrestrained human nature. The poor have the ghosts of the poor, and the rich have the anxiety of the rich. It is difficult to have a unified standard for weighing. People may have the problem of vanity, just say how to grasp this degree.
I think of what Aibao mocked Martha said in the film, "You are a first-class lace, a second-class thinker, and your soul has nowhere to rest." Aibao's self-righteousness reflects the cold and alienated feelings between her and her husband. Gao Fei seems to care about Billy who is demented, but it is actually a sign of pallor in his heart. Tom keeps trying to save his marriage with Marianne, but his failure to do so, his self-indulgent depravity, and his addiction to drugs all illustrate the utter emptiness in his heart.
No one is completely happy. Ginny loves Martha, but wants to go back to her original family life. The lesbian couple can only put aside their emotions. If life were complete, God would laugh. The joy and sweetness that I thought was just a flash in the pan, like Billy's incurable disease. This is the superficial reality that highlights the hurried, futile, and short life. It seems that no one can stay out of it, we all live in a virtual reality that is brutal. Happiness is just self-imagination and obscenity.
2017, 12, 6
View more about The Party reviews
