Una chica divertida

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.

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" 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.

Parker Posey's first starring role has her as a girl in the East Village Club scene. Her life is slipping out of control, and she's broke, so she goes to work in the library managed by her godmother, Sasha von Scherler (the mother of the movie's director, Daisy von Scherler Mayer), while trying to continue in the club scene. However the tensions of dawning adulthood with the ever-adolescent culture cause problem.

In the end, there's a strong normative component to this movie, as well as an attempt to update the screwball comedy, with mixed results. Miss Posey is an energetic stick of dynamite in this movie, which follows the arc of the entitled comic hero who kicked kicked by the world until she changes to deal with the world, through the omnipotence of the Dewey Decimal System. The wit of the movie is visual and situational; the young people's dialogue has a deliberately clueless and banal tone to it. Although the movie's pace and tone, combined with Miss Posey's performance, give it a liveliness that carried me through to the end, it lacks much to say except "Grow up!"

I remember seeing this years ago when it first came out and I was floored by Parker Posey's performance. And the movie was pretty good also. For anyone who's spent a little too much time in the nightclub/after-hours scene, this movie will have a special charm for you. Not too serious, mostly funny, and Parker Posey definitely blazes her talented way through this indie gem.

I especially liked the Diaz character (reminded me of every single struggling DJ I've ever known). And many other movies could take a cue from this movie on how to preach the virtue of responsibility without being boring and bland about it.

Babaganoosh!