yaadpyar I've seen better home movies, and I'm not sure how this qualifies as anything but that. It looked and felt like a self-indulgent, narcissistic and (the worst movie sin of all) boring home movie about folks I don't know and don't care to meet. It seemed a complete vanity piece, with me as the unwitting audience.This movie reminded me of the incredibly silly "drama" that teenagers find important when they're out too late and lacking parental supervision. The content of the characters in the film was immature, unpleasant and unattractive.I was tempted to turn it off numerous times, but waited until the end in case the redemption I was seeking was finally offered. It wasn't.

timboytx If you like Robert Altman films, you should take a look at this film. It's much like an Altman film, with its use of naturalistic dialogue, subtle humor, and a wide spectrum of characters which feel like real people, in simple, believable situations. But it's tidier than an Altman film. It still could use a little trimming, I think, but in general it doesn't have as many rough edges as a film like "A Wedding".Here's an excerpt from Roger Ebert's review, which could very well be a comment about an Altman movie: "The appeal of the film is largely voyeuristic. We learn nothing we don't already more or less know, but the material is covered with such authenticity and unforced natural conviction that it plays like a privileged glimpse into the sad lives of the rich and famous. We're like the neighbors who are invited. Leigh and Cumming co-wrote and co-directed, and are confident professionals who don't indulge their material or themselves. This isn't a confessional home movie, but a cool and intelligent look at a lifestyle where smart people are required to lead their lives according to dumb rules."

jse126 I can't find much to say about this film. It was as dull as laundry day and filled with self important yet completely vapid people who cannot get along with anyone because they are all so concerned with themselves. They whine and moan and complain so much that after a while you'll feel like killing them all. It was made by Jennifer Jason Leigh, which to me is quite telling. This woman is regarded by many in Hollywood to be a great actress, which does in part explain why American movies are so awful. She is a dullard. Her name in the cast list of any movie is like a warning that a dull movie lies in store - and she MADE this one. I got the impression from the film that she thinks that it represents how people truly are and what "real life" is - but if for some reason she happens to be reading this, let me say emphatically to her that it does NOT. Of course it does paint a picture of her tragic little world of NY to LA movie types - but that is her problem, and there is a real life beyond Hollywood's artificial one (it's telling how these adults take Ecstacy, a kiddie drug that provides users with artificial emotions to go with their artificial lives). I do not want to be a part of that world and do not want to attend their parties, therefore I am sorry that I watched this. It might be a good wakeup call to anyone who dreams of movie stardom though. These people are so full of themselves because they are so empty of everything else. Actually I have to amend that statement - they are full of something else, though the twain may be hard to discern.This film, the type of people in it, and Jennifer Jason Leigh - they all deserve each other. I can't wait until Hollywood falls into the ocean.

Claudio Carvalho While celebrating their reconciliation and six years of marriage, the American actress Sally Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and the British novelist Joe Therrian (Alan Cumming) receive their close friends, some colleagues and their next door neighbors in a party. Under the effect of Ecstasy, revelations are disclosed and relationships deteriorate among the group."The Anniversary Party" is a deceptive, pretentious and boring apology to Ecstasy. One of the best and first movies about reunion of friends that I recall is the wonderful "Peter's Friends". Since then, I have watched dozens of this type of independent low-budget movie, and "The Anniversary Party" is certainly one of the worst. The story begins without any previous development of any of the many characters, and the viewer understands how they are connected to each other along the story. However, the story goes nowhere, and the ambiguous lead character Joe Therrian is not clearly defined: he seems to be a shallow bisexual selfish man, without giving attention to his wife, to his needy sister, to his muse, to his neighbor, and only caring to his dog. The other lead character, Sally Nash, seems to be a decadent insecure confused actress. With two unpleasant people hosting different guests with their heads full of alcohol and drugs, the screenplay could not be much better. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "Aniversário de Casamento" ("Wedding Anniversary")