Crazy Party Girl

"Party Girl" is one of my all time favorite movies. The movie portrayed early 90's raving very well. Raves became distorted in later movies and television shows trying to depict that era of clubbing. The only show I can think of at the moment is "Saved by the Bell: The College Years" where Zack, wearing all plaid, has an idea to have a rave on campus, decked out with black lights, horrible music, and "whip-its."

"Party Girl" set itself apart from these stereotypical rave-umentaries by showing how raves (true raves) were not glow-stick, lolly-sucking teenage rebellion-fests. Posey, showing style and attitude, portrayed an over-the-top character who isn't necessarily perfect, but plays her part well. The movie isn't all about drugs, like other genre movies such as "Playing Mona Lisa." Posey played a girl that I know many of.

The movie epitomized the early 90's rave era. Watch this movie at least once just for Posey's performance.

This film is a delightful, light hearted look at both sides of where the "club kid" rave scene blends with the New York art, music and performance art worlds (with a cameo by the omnipresent Miss Bunny). This is "Torch Song Trilogy" for the perky-post-teen girls. "That Girl" for our disaffected, affected millennium times.

The dialogue is fast and funny, and Parker Posey's costumer deserves - if not an academy award, at least - a stadium "wave" of kudos.

Of course, this film rests on the very stylish platform heels of Miss Posey, and she is perfectly cast. Like a lot of her acting work, it may not be very deep, it is often self-referential and, well, posey... but it all WORKS. She is a talented comedienne, an incredible entertainer, and this film entertains, she carries it on her shoulders like a faux leopard wrap, and never lets it drop to the floor.

Mary is a superficial party fashionista who isn't above stealing designer clothing from a friend's closet or making out with someone else's boyfriend. On a deeper level, this is a story of a girl and her friends who are care-less in every sense of the word, including about other people; and the process of learning that caring is necessary to life.

The script is beautifully crafted, witty, and the only performance that disappoints is the Aunt, in a role that was much too one-dimensional and heavy handed; a more nuanced performance from her, would have deepened the relationship between the two... but... hey... this is comedy. A surprisingly deep role, that gives this film some substance and world vision, is the fallafel selling boyfriend. We should all be so lucky... is he the one for Mary? or the one that gets away?

I rate this as a 8 because it isn't a great moment of film history, it is not a classic, and it is not great art (all of which get deeper and richer on re-viewing). Like "Desperately Seeking Susan" it represents something very true about it's time period, but may become irrelevant with time. Still, it has everything an entertaining film needs, and is worth viewing several times for the clothes alone!

In the very early 1990s, low budget movies were rebranded as "indies" and 'Party Girl' is a prime example. You have to be really into one of three things (preferably all three) to get the most out of this movie: early 90s house and club music; a nostalgia for that pre-Internet, recession era-ish NYC of the early 90s when people could still be poor and live in Manhattan; and Parker Posey: of whom this is a total star vehicle for and who carries the entire movie, appearing in nearly every scene. The rest of the cast manages-with varying results. There are a few good lines and almost-developments, but overall nothing really happens plot-wise. It has a lot of style, NYC Lower East Side club scene authenticity, and the Director Daisy von Scherler Mayer seems interestingly influenced by her brilliant, golden-age-of-Hollywood, real-life grandfather: a frequent collaborator with Ernst Lubitsch. An oddly charming bore that you want to love but it never really connects and delivers...although at times it sorta seems like a low budget 'Legally Blonde' if you swap out 'lawyer' for 'librarian.' But hey: there's a male stripper in a jock strap at a birthday party at the end.

"Party Girl" capitalizes on the tremendous charm of Parker Posey. In fact, at times, the movie seems to be a vehicle in which Ms. Posey is allow to play herself, as she normally is in real life.

The film, directed by Daisy Von Scherler Mayer, is a treat for Ms. Posey's fans. Ms. Von Scherler Mayer takes us on a wild trip into lower Manhattan to show us this aimless soul whose life is dedicated to have fun in the different clubs she constantly frequents. This is an era that still was more naive than what that area and the adjacent Meat Market districts became. At least, there are no pretensions in the films and we see down to earth people going about their lives in a normal way, if we can call it that way.

Parker Posey makes an amazing Mary. It's because of Parker Posey we enjoy the movie more than if another actress would have played Mary. She is the whole picture. The rest of the cast is good.

After 20 years of only hearing about this quirky comedy, I finally watched this on a DVD I borrowed from the, yes, library. Parker Posey is Mary-the title character who ends up working at the place where books are borrowed because a friend (her godmother who she calls by her first name, Judy) of her late mom is one of the employees there. But Mary, well, she's not always the most responsible of people. Still, she's quite charming especially when dancing or just wearing many of her stylish outfits either in the streets or at the dance clubs she frequents. Ms. Posey is funny and stunning throughout the movie. And her charms are multiplied every time she speaks. And I liked many of the mostly unknown supporting cast that's presented here. So on that note, I highly recommend Party Girl.