A wonderful ensemble piece starring many fine actors, The Anniversary Party delves deep into the ties that bind us together. But the second act is an unflinching look at how we tear ourselves apart. While it has some flaws, I found it hit its marks more often than not. The Altmanesque flow of the movie was almost pitch perfect and never got in the way of the story. There is tension between almost all of the principles and it is often the cover-your-eyes-but-look-through-your-fingers type. I found most of the relationships to be as flawed and messy as the real ones (mine at least). Sure, there's an extraneous scene or two (the near drowning scene comes immediately to mind) and they don't set up the ending that well, but I was happy to forgive the warts to get a close look at compelling relationships.
Review of The Anniversary Party
