Critic Reviews

A caustic comedy of Hollywood manners.

A caustic, funny, low-budget treat, shot on digital video.

Everyone in the cast has his or her solo, and all rise brilliantly to their occasions, notably Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Beals, Mina Badie and a divinely neurotic Jane Adams.

I can't recall the last time a picture left me feeling so caffeinated.

Despite its shortcomings, this smart, caustic movie is easily the most incisive and realistic comedy of manners to emerge from Hollywood in quite a while, and that's saying a lot.

Although the movie -- falls occasional prey to pretension, it's a classic guilty pleasure.

Some of The Anniversary Party's titillation factor rests on the awareness that these are actors playing actors, in roles written specifically for them that at times appear awfully close to home.

For all its superfluous and self-conscious moments, the picture is a draining kick.

Has a loose, improvisatory feel that rings true.

What makes The Anniversary Party intriguing is how close it cuts to the bone of reality--how we're teased to draw parallels between some of the characters and the actors who play them.