The Party's Just Beginning

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.

24 year old Liusaidh (Karen Gillan) lives an aimless life in Inverness. She works at the cheese counter in a supermarket. She gets drunk in bars, screws random strangers, and eats chips to finish the nights. She watches a guy jump off a bridge and seems uneffected. She sees a neighbor hang himself. Her best friend Alistair is struggling with his homosexuality. She encounters Dale (Lee Pace) intent on committing suicide from the same bridge.

This is Karen Gillan's theatrical directing and writing debut. The intention is interesting. In more skilled hands, the back and forth in time would be better handled. A veteran filmmaker would have some definitive physical identifiers to differentiate the two timelines. It leaves the structure of the movie a little confused. At first, I thought she may be Sixth Sensing. Otherwise, this is an effective performance of self-destruction. It's also an interesting first stab. It's not mind blowing but it shows some promise.

This movie is not for everyone. It is about those of us who are outsiders that often feel so dead on the inside we give up on life or seek self destructive behavior to feel alive or human, whether that be through drugs, sex, abusive relationships, risking one's life, intentional infliction of pain, or whatever else makes us feel alive for a moment, or a combination of all of the above, and the devastation it can leave behind. As someone that deals with depression and addiction to self-destructive behavioral patterns, I can tell you this movie was dead on in capturing what it truly feels like, and the impact it has on us and those around us.

For those that don't have such feelings, or know people plagued with them, I am not sure if they will get it. For those of us that do, it is hard not to view this movie as a masterpiece. It was not judgmental, overacted, or built on false assumptions. Rather, it was a brilliant showing of understanding and awareness for those of us that do not often feel understood or valued.

You will not feel good or happy leaving this movie. In fact, it was so realistic and on point it brought me straight to my dark place. However, for a change, I did not feel alone in my blackness, but felt like I was with friends that understood and wanted me to make better choices in life. For that I am grateful this important movie was made.

Absolutely exceptional. And again, I thank all of those involved for taking this so seriously.

I have no idea why IMDB has this movie listed as a comedy. It is a dark movie about depression, emptiness and suicide.

Stuck in a dead-end job and unable to cope with the recent loss of her best friend, a dissolute young woman's life spirals further out of control as she engages in various self-destructive behaviors while trying to suppress her grief and recall a much happier time in her life. Though it's not quite as compelling as it could be, this is still an interesting blend of poignant drama and character study that tackles important themes like anger, loneliness, bigotry, acceptance, and serves as an excellent showcase for Gillan (set in her hometown of Inverness, Scotland) in one of her most memorable outings to date as writer, director, and lead actress, with a haunting performance that conveys various emotional stages through her eyes, facial expressions, and body language. **½

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.