I wish I could rate this higher, but there are parts of it that holds the whole production a bit back.
To start with the good stuff, I love the setting. The party next to the party, the older, unhappy people trying to have fun, next to the young and carefree. It's a great set up for allowing the actors to become human characters, as the back drop acts as a constant reminder of what kind of life they're not living, and not having any more. How they themselves are becoming something other than they wanted to be. Their unhappiness comes through well in their acting, but even more so because of the neighboring party.
And the characters are also really good. They're all very different, but they're more than arch types. I'm sure the actors playing the parts got a lot of freedom in how to shape the characters, because they all seem to fit them perfectly.
With this great back drop, and interesting characters, the whole movie/play ought to be fantastic. And much of it is, with the banter, the conversations, everything said and unsaid. But where the movie falls apart, is where it tries to be dramatic. The ending felt really out of place, and seems more like a way to end the play. There's also a certain sequence with a knife (not much of a spoiler) that feels completely unbelievable. These "plot points" just ruins the realism. The movie still holds up well, but it's a pity that they felt the need to go that far.
To start with the good stuff, I love the setting. The party next to the party, the older, unhappy people trying to have fun, next to the young and carefree. It's a great set up for allowing the actors to become human characters, as the back drop acts as a constant reminder of what kind of life they're not living, and not having any more. How they themselves are becoming something other than they wanted to be. Their unhappiness comes through well in their acting, but even more so because of the neighboring party.
And the characters are also really good. They're all very different, but they're more than arch types. I'm sure the actors playing the parts got a lot of freedom in how to shape the characters, because they all seem to fit them perfectly.
With this great back drop, and interesting characters, the whole movie/play ought to be fantastic. And much of it is, with the banter, the conversations, everything said and unsaid. But where the movie falls apart, is where it tries to be dramatic. The ending felt really out of place, and seems more like a way to end the play. There's also a certain sequence with a knife (not much of a spoiler) that feels completely unbelievable. These "plot points" just ruins the realism. The movie still holds up well, but it's a pity that they felt the need to go that far.