The Party's Just Beginning

The Party's Just Beginning... well after watching it there wasn't any party on my couch. The movie was pretty boring to watch, senseless, with a story not interesting enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. It's a story about depressed people, but not even a good one. The acting of Karen Gillan and the rest of the cast isn't bad, far from it, but if you have a lame story it doesn't matter how good you act, it still remains a lame movie. It's one of those movies I watched once and that I will never watch again as there are thousands and thousands better movies.

If you've ever read the book or seen "Trainspotting" the film, you know that it gives an unfiltered look at what heroin addiction is and its effect on people, all through the eyes of the main character Mark Renton. In a very similar fashion, "The Party's Just Beginning" gives you a glimpse into the hellish world of depression.

Karen Gillan did an amazing job writing and directing this film, which is especially surprising (and awesome) because it's her first. As a directorial debut it's a hit, but even from a seasoned director this would easily be a winner. Like any film that deals with such a specific and supremely dark subject matter (and being so bleak as it is), it's certainly not going to win everybody's heart. However it's that bleakness that Karen managed to capture which really resonated with me, and is portrayed so well, both in the film's characters and its substance.

In fairness, I must admit to some bias, as I've always found Karen gobsmackingly beautiful. With that said, if you've ever struggled with depression, this is likely to resonate with you. And if you're like me, it's going to leave you crying and writing good reviews. Finally worth mentioning is that the last film I gave a 9/10 to was "Pulp Fiction"; indeed, I liked it that much, and I can't say enough good things about it.

Very good for a first time effort and was nice to see bits of home on screen (that walk home would be mental though). It's a bit scattered and Karen may have over reached a bit as there are a few too many different issues thrown in BUT shows promise for the future.

I've loved Karen Gillan ever since Doctor Who and I've followed her career since then. Her debut as a director comes off as true to herself, as if every single step was made with Karen's approval first. This film feels so determined in the story it wants to tell and absolutely commited to its characters and plot development. Karen's performance is also admirable as she turns into this reckless person who is struggling to cope with loss. I'm glad she chose to deal with heavy themes like this because it's important to make them visible for anyone out there who may feel identified with such a troubled state of mind.

It's a great first effort for her and hopefully she will continue down this path of making small but highly compelling indie films. If her future endeavours are also set in her native Scotland, it will certainly add a much more absorbing atmosphere, since she really succeeded in capturing a strong sense of Scotland's environment. It's what she knows, so if she embraces her roots she could even make Scotland as if it was another character, much like Woody Allen did with New York or Jean-Luc Godard did with Paris. By all means, Karen, be my guest and keep doing your thing, I'm excited for more.

I'm not going to spoil anything here, but I will say that Karen Gillan's "The Party's Just Beginning" isn't a perfect film. There's a lot of stuff going on and not all of it gets a resolution. But it's still very well acted (Gillan's best performance yet), well written, and beautifully directed. It's a very confident debut and Gillan's voice really shines through.

I've seen reviews angry at the film, saying that it "exploits" people who identify as transgender or that she "exploits" suicide, which I think is just ridiculous. I really believe that all of that is just down to the fact that Gillan tried to include a lot of different topics and themes in this film. Some are included unsuccessfully, and the film can feel a bit overstuffed, but in my opinion, most of the themes have a good pay off.

Without spoiling anything, I can say that The Party's Just Beginning is an incredibly assured debut. It's got a strong cast, a socially relevant, poignant, and funny script, and even when it doesn't land every punch, The Party's Just Beginning is still an admirable, emotional, and immensely enjoyable directorial debut that marks Karen Gillan as an actor and a director to watch. 9 out of 10.