This artistic collaboration between Mr. Cumming and Ms. Leigh is full of surprises. That these two established stars, used to playing edgy, dark, and unconventional roles would create such an ensemble piece makes me wonder what were they smokin'? Who could, after all, think actors, playing stereotypical Hollywood types, could be so boring, self-centered, and banal? And all in one evening? Anniversary Party is a perfect example of why most actors should not direct, not write, and then make it even worse by acting in the central roles. How can veteran screen stars like Alan Cumming, et al, can be so unconvincing in these one-dimensional characterizations? It's quite a hoot seeing Alan Cumming, that confirmed out-of-the-closet fashion maverick, trying to convince us he's a straight, middle-of-the-road Hollywood artist named Joe Theirran. We only have to see his Titus, Plunkett and Maclean, and yes-even Spy Kids to set our heads spinning at this sleight- of-hand nonsense.Jennifer Jason Leigh swaps her trademark controlled, neurotic ladies to wander about as Sally Theirran, looking like a victim of too much self-direction. Ms. Leigh's Delores Claireborne and Ms. Parker sparkle in our minds, only to disappear with the onslaught of this cinematic nightmare.The wonder of Indie films is that they show us a different perspective, away from the narrow frame of Hollywood auto-focus. They contain a spark of non-conformity that keeps us coming back again and again, always eager for that fresh and original view.So why make a movie that looks, acts, and feels like the standard Hollywood B movie? There's never a scene where the players cast off their self-consciousness to take ecstasy in the creative process. This film examines a rather large group of friends in the movie industry; most that are paired just a bit too conveniently. There's the obligatory set-up scenes of potential tension and disharmony, centered on Joe and Sally's sixth wedding anniversary celebration. It becomes apparent (and pretty quickly, too) that all the guests have their own issues they've brought, together with the gifts.The evening plays a bit like "All About Eve", complete with bedroom confessions, kitchen confidentials, and poolside revelations. If only there was even a fraction of the tension and drama!

Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason-Leigh are Joe Therrian and Sally Nash, a successful novelist and actress throwing "The Anniversary Party" in this 2001 film written and directed by the two stars. Other guests include Kevin Kline, Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Beals, John C. Reilly, Parker Posey, Jane Adams and Gwyneth Paltrow. Cumming and Leigh play a couple celebrating their sixth anniversary, though they have been estranged and are just getting back together. Problems arise almost immediately - Joe has been hired to direct the screenplay of his novel and wants a young actress (Paltrow) to play a role everyone assumes is based on and intended for Sally. He invites the actress to the party, making Sally furious. Then the neighbors have to be invited (John Benjamin Hickey and Posey) because of an ongoing fight over Joe and Sally's dog Otis barking and enraging the neighbors. As the guests start to arrive, we see some interesting dynamics forming: a married couple (Adams and Reilly) who have just had their first baby and left him with a sitter; she's a neurotic, nearly anorexic working actress and he, the director of Sally's latest film, is unhappy with Sally's performance; a close friend of Joe's (Beals) who's a little too close to him and disliked by Sally; a married couple (Kline and Cates) who bring their two children to the party (Kline and Cates' real-life children) - he's Sally's costar and she gave up show business, etc. When the ingénue arrives with Ecstasy, the party takes a turn, and it's not for the better.This is an interesting film, helped greatly by the acting and the relaxed, almost improvisational feel of dialogue. Leigh and Cumming are cognizant in their writing and direction that this is Hollywood, where people are more self-absorbed and overdone than the norm. When Sally and Greta (Cates) have a huge discussion about child-bearing and Joe's inability to grow up, you can't take it seriously - they're both on Ecstasy and have the intensity of two high-schoolers, where everything is the end of the world. The scene is deliberately that way - they're on drugs. When Joe tells Sally he never considered her for the part in the movie because she's too old, we know it's a sore subject he didn't want to bring up. Meanwhile, the uptight, non-show biz neighbors watch the activity in amazement, the wife wanting to belong, the husband, a recovering alcoholic, afraid that she does. The film ends abruptly with nothing really resolved. The end of the film becomes a mini-version of "Long Day's Journey Into Night," and, almost like that famous play, one gets the feeling that after this night of Ecstasy, overwrought emotions and devastation, it will all begin over again today.Everyone is excellent, and that's not to say they're particularly likable. Jane Adams, Mel of "Frasier" fame leaves you wondering if she'll make it to the baby's first birthday; Kevin Kline, as usual, gives one of the best performances as a handsome leading man who "has a window" available for Joe's film; Jennifer Beals gives her character a nice, Hollywood intensity, making the most of lines like "he's magnificent when he's with you." Paltrow is perfect as the airhead ingénue, fawning all over Sally and saying exactly the wrong things ("I've watched your movies since I was a little girl") and floating around on another plane. Riley, Posey, and the rest of the cast are uniformly strong.Cumming is surprisingly believable as Sally's husband. Greta refers to him as sexually ambivalent, and he pulls that off rather than seeming completely gay - he is most famous for his wonderful performance in "Cabaret" as the emcee - but it's obvious he's capable of more variety. The beautiful Jason-Leigh is sensational - she plays a woman who's a movie star at a time when the cameras aren't rolling, and with her interesting look and penetrating eyes, you can believe it. She's determined to make a go of it with her husband, but she has doubts - that's there too. She and Cumming pull out all the stops as the emotions and situations careen downhill.One quibble I have is the age issue of Sally being uncastable in a role calling for her to be in her twenties. I saw Jason-Leigh in Proof, where a big deal is made in the script of the character being 25. No one in the audience, myself included, realized that Jason-Leigh was, in fact, at 39, the oldest actress to have played it on Broadway. Even on film, she doesn't look 39 - in fact, in my opinion, though Paltrow was dressed more youthfully and wearing her hair younger, she looked much less vibrant than Jason-Leigh and, unlike Jason-Leigh, wasted. This was a conceit in the script that would have been better had the age of the character in Joe's novel been more like 18. Everyone knows with the right lighting and the right cast around someone, they can easily look younger.All in all, a good movie showing the miserable lives of the rich and famous, something poor folk like myself never mind watching.

Written, produced and starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming. Joe(Cumming)and Sally(Leigh)throw a party to celebrate the ending of a year apart and their 6th wedding anniversary; and currently going through the motions of wanting to start a family and a move to London. Some of their closest friends past and present plus their neighbors are invited to this gathering. One of those attending is an actress(Gwyneth Paltrow)starring in Joe's novel turned into a movie. Sally is an actress herself and struggling with emotional matters. Friend Cal(Kevin Kline) and his wife(Phoebe Cates)are among the invitees.The party really starts to lose control at the get-go. Jealousies, politically incorrectness and bickering neighbors make the party awkward. As the party moves out to the pool and the mood elevating drug Ecstacy is passed around, diverse personalities watch this get-together spiral into confusion.This drama is also a cruel comedy and some may find this movie not even worth watching for two hours. I really enjoyed Leigh, but thought Cumming annoying as hell. Not really being a Paltrow fan...I found her very interesting. The cast also features: Parker Posey, Jennifer Beals, Jane Adams, Denis O'Hare and John C. Reilly.

While enjoyable, and entertaining, I feel this movie relied too much on breadth so that one wonders what is happening in the movie because so much is. The narrative thread is the relationship of the lead couple. The work of Alan Cumming and JJ Leigh is interesting to watch. However it is a bit scattered. A bit too much true to life, ala my best friend Phoebe Cates, and the lines delivered - are they scripted or ad lib and does it matter? Yes, because the audience wants to know where you are taking us with this. Too many beautiful people with their poor, poor problems. They are nervous, lose their dogs, etc. All in all, it lacked something and I'm not sure what it is. But it's worth a look.