Oh god. Not another cop out ending movie where they kill someone off as a way to end the movie.

It's a sure sign that The Anniversary Party was penned by an amateur writer (in this case, two: Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming): the movie goes on too long, and they don't know how to end it. So they kill someone, and then end the film with half the plotlines unresolved.

I'm all for messy, human endings. But my film pet peeve is the cop-out death ending. (For the record, they also follow that movie tenet "nothing ever happens to the dog," which makes the final scene predictable from about 20 miles away.)

The movie is about an anniversary party for a couple (Leigh and Cumming) who have recently separated and then gotten back together. Their relationship is still strained, and the film is about how it bends under the pressure of the party, and threatens to break.

The movie has one big thing in its favor: excellent performances. Leigh and Cumming wrote parts with their friends in mind, and it is delightful to see these actors playing variations on themselves. Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates even have their real-life offspring in the roles of their kids. Cates in particular is marvelous-- she's gorgeous, and you realize what a shame it is she isn't seen in more films. Gwyneth Paltrow is wonderful as a rising starlet. Jane Adams, as a drug addicted new mother, and Mina Badie, as an estranged next door neighbor, are also particularly noteworthy.

I love some of the insights about the life of successful actors in Los Angeles-- much of it feels authentic (as well it should) like the private yoga instructor, and the talk about acting careers and awards, and the envy of a younger actress by an older one. It is an interesting example of Leigh and Cumming writing what they know, and they do it well, up to a point.

The movie does go on for about a half an hour too long. Part of the problem is that as the party goes on, more and more guests just keep showing up. Characters are introduced for one scene, just long enough to intrigue you (such as the man Cummings' character once had an affair with) but then they disappear from the film, never to be seen again. Had the movie just restricted itself to interactions among the main ensemble, it would have been much stronger. (And also, if characters are going to be taking Ecstasy, I, the audience member, want to see some sex. What a disappointment there.)

Here's what it boils down to: a script editor. Given a script editor, and these brilliant actors, this could have been a hell of a movie. As it is, it's just a hell of a mess.