The Anniversary Party

Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh liked working so well together on Broadway in Cabaret that they directed, wrote and star in this digital video drama about Hollywood Hills’ rich and famous. Novelist turned filmmaker Joe and actress wife Sally celebrate their sixth anniversary and recent reconciliation with friends, relatives, business associates and even the neighbors who they despise. Everyone plays charades, gives testimonials to the couple of the moment and rummages through each other’s emotional baggage. Ecstasy replaces alcohol as the evening’s drug of choice and a capable cast (Kevin Kline, John C. Reilly, Phoebe Cates, Gwyneth Paltrow) becomes mired in conversations that double as mundane mini-encounter sessions.