When the Party's Over

Good movie, easy to follow, but enough depth to stay focused. There's no clearly outlined story here, just a glimpse of the life of a group of friends finding their way in a big and individualistic world. The characters are believable, and the sketch of the absurdity of Hollywood wannabee life is entertaining and over the right top. Bullock is OK, but I cannot see real exquisite marvel in her eyes. Chong and Berridge are very good and the parts of Mr. Midnight and the little brother serve as welcome optimistic counter figures.

All in all this movie can be seen as a high-quality soap opera in that it manages to plant an entire season's drama in just 110 minutes and the emotional perceptions are almost authentic. To top that we receive some profound glances of the whims and fancies of human personality and the attitude on life.

A powerful and intimate look at success, friendship and sex in the 90's, 3 girls and two boys living together in an up market LA house, you see into their lives as a fly on the wall sort of film. MJ uses her looks and charm to manipulates everybody, even her house mates. but happens when the party's over?? Not one of Sandra Better films, but you have to start somewhere!.

I don't like movies about relationships, so I didn't like this one. The main reason for watching this movie was Sandra Bullock. But she's not seen much. If you expect to see Sandra Bullock in an R movie, keep in mind, there are some sexual scenes, but absolutely no nudity.

When the Party's Over tries to capture that early-'90s twentysomething disillusionment, but it never quite finds its footing. You've got a house full of roommates, each dealing with their own mess - emotional baggage, career burnout, romantic dysfunction. There's definitely some potential in that setup, but the writing leans more soap than substance.

The cast does what they can, and there are a few grounded moments where you can feel the film reaching for something real. But the whole thing feels more like a made-for-TV drama than a meaningful look at post-college malaise. It wants to say something about growing up and facing reality, but mostly it just meanders through tired tropes.

There's a kernel of an honest story buried somewhere in here, but it's drowned out by melodrama and some clunky dialogue. Not the worst way to spend 90 minutes, but you're not missing much if you skip it.

Yes, this is an ensemble piece, and a "year in the life of" type of film -- but a fine example of what can be accomplished in this area, for those who appreciate these works. Bullock does act well here -- she's not especially likeable, for several reasons -- but she's believable, and it's one of a handful of roles she's done exceptionally well. Fisher Stevens steals this show, however. And how! He's an entirely winning character -- among a bunch of twenty-somethings who haven't quite figured themselves out, let alone what they want or what makes living worth all the fuss. Many of them are interesting or quite appealing, all the same. Without Stevens setting the counterpoint, a person who wins at life whether he gets what he wants or not, someone who doesn't decide ahead of time what's supposed to happen and how people are supposed to respond to him -- without him in this role, it would be just another story of searching and/or alienation. Not that there haven't been some fine films of just that sort, but this is something more. "When the Party's Over" stands up well alongside such films as "Bob & Ted & Carol & Alice" and the Australian film "Bob's Party" (if I'm remembering the latter's title correctly here). Those films are superficially more entertaining, clearly more commercial, even more conventional -- and more about actual parties and sexual games than this one. But all of them share the same group spirit. In the long run, a decade or more later, it is Fisher Stevens' role as Alexander which lives on in my mind and heart more than any of the others. Nor will I forget Bullock or Rae Dawn Chong and their characters in this film. The story builds slowly, doesn't go where you expect it to or hope it will, but rewards those who are patient and observant.