Customer Reviews

Party Girl

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I saw this movie for the first time right out of college and it inspired me to move to NYC. It brilliantly captures the recreational substance induced hazy world of party goers all over Soho. Mary, the ultimate party diva is forced to learn responsiblity when her godmother, Judy, gives her a job as a library clerk..."A trained monkey learned this system on PBS in a matter of hours!" Mary works. Mary shoplifts from other people's closets..."Hello Chanel!" Mary falls for her local falafel vendor. Mary gets the guy. Mary loses the guy. Mary parties. Mary learns something about herself...mostly that her shallow lifestyle will only last so long. The dialogue is crisp and funny, the characters are well developed, and Parker Posey's performance is brilliant. A very young and very sexy Liev Schreiber delivers the goods as well. This movie is filled with so much fun....the scene with "Natasha" alone is worth the price of the disc. This is a must have!

Don't let the reviews praising or criticising the portrayal of club culture bias your attitude towards this movie - it is a simple and sweetly told love story, albeit with a hipper than usual setting, hilarious dialog and of course the wonderufl acting talents of Parker Posey! Other reviews also make it seem like a piece of fluff, while it is certainly not a life changing or thought provoking movie, it does operate on two levels and eventually has Parker Posey's character operate on the deeper side of life - however the party side is oh so fun! There's a sex scene in the library that is soooo lovely. "I think I'm an existentialist". I think that if you like Kevin Smith movies, you would like this one.

This has got to be one of the most innovative and tongue-in-cheek independent films of all time. I didn't know anything of the film until last year, and totally got the reason why it was revered as a cult classic among those with brains and a sense of humor.

The great thing about this movie is the leading lady, Parker Posey. Anyone who doesnt crack up the moment she opens her mouth has obviously had a seriously deprived childhood. Among all contemporary actresses, theres not one that has the instinctive comic likeability and timing that Posey has. Well, maybe Lisa Kudrow, but shes busy wasting away her life on 'Friends'.

Parker plays Mary, a Party Girl to reckon with ('I'm a girl who parties like a man', the film's soundtrack tells us). However, with bills to pay and the feeling of self-worth to satisfy, Mary falls at the feet of her godmother, who gives her a job at the library. While the film itself is irreverent, the wondrous job it extracts from its' leading cast is superb. Parker's Middle Eastern lover, her gay best friend, and her English DJ room-mate, all spicen up the proceedings, as Mary works her way through this thing called life, only to discover that the only thing that really matters is the ability to party the best you can.

Aside from spouting some of the most unfortgettable one-liners, Parker's sullen performance as a librarian, and her transformation into a care-a-hang nightlife girl is extremely watchable. I personally preferred her performance here to the more respected one she gave in the dark 'The House of Yes'. Its also far better and substantial than the one she gave us in 'Henry Fool'.

The film also has a stunning soundtrack. The only pity is that it is not yet available on DVD. While other Parker flicks such as 'Best in Show', 'Clockwatchers' and even 'Guffman' are all getting the DVD treatment, its high time someone woke up and put this to digital disc.

Highly recommended.

I picked this movie up on a whim at the video store and I was very pleasantly suprised. I had seen Posey in "The House of Yes" and didn't like the film, but liked her. The film has great music and a good back drop of the club scene between drugs, fashion-tinged clothing, and club kids. I was not familiar with Omar Townshend, but he is believable as the Lebanese falafel vendor that Posey gets involved with. This is a light, enjoyable flick and of the variety that romantic comedies should be: sweet, intelligent, and with a happy ending. Definitely worth watching!

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 millenium 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 an 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 desinger 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 neccessary 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. The best performance is by the fallafel selling boyfriend. We should all be so lucky.
I rate this as a 4 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). But it has everything an entertaining film needs, and is worth viewing several times for the clothes alone!

...a side order of babaganouj and a seltzer, please.

Ok, I have seen "Party Girl" more times than any other movie (we're talking hundreds of times here). It is actually on my top five list of favorite movies. This movie is definitely not for everyone. I myself, found the movie EXTREMELY entertaining and funny. This was actually the very first independent film I ever saw and it got me into the whole Indie scene way back in the day.

What's up buttercup? The rent and I'm not paying.. NA-TASH-A!

The "imitate a cat puking" part makes me laugh to this day! Parker Posey is very very talented ... along with the other members of the cast.

A trained monkey learned this system on PBS in a matter of hours! Re-coat it!

The character Posey plays in the movie, Mary, wants to be a librarian and make something of herself. Granted, she is also a Party Girl, so this makes for some interesting scenarios in the movie. I would give this movie 10 stars if I could. Maybe I'm just partial to it because it was the first non-mainstream/non-Hollywood UNIQUE movie I ever saw and it broadened my horizons, but, who knows, maybe you will like it too. ;)

I want to be a librarian!

(I also highly recommend the soundtrack to the movie.)

A classic, very watchable romantic comedy that will really speak to anyone who grew up in the early '90s. The DVD transfer is awful, however. It looks like it was recorded from a VHS videotape. I saw this movie in the theater when it came out, and I remember well the terrific cinematography, unusual for a low-budget film of the time---the gray overcast drabness of Parker Posey's character's daily life in Manhattan contrasted with the bright colors of her carefree nighttime existence. It would be great to see that again on a proper DVD.

It's a given that I adore this movie. In what other movie is there Parker Posey mastering both vogue-ing and the Dewey Decimal system? I dare you to find any any other.

But viewers might want to know that some (all?) of the DVDs of it are transfers not from film, but from video! -- and that means that no matter how much you get your DVD player to zoom in, the soundtrack credits are just a big blur-- and believe me, this is important, because the music practically makes the movie, and you will want to track down these songs/mixes!

So you'd want to look up this or that song, but its credits listing could be just a big smudge, where a proper transfer would show crisp letters saying, for one example, "Dajae- U Got Me Up (Cajmere Underground Charleston Mix)". (That's the song played during the "Natashaaa!" vogue-ing scene.)

Or maybe your DVD will be unlike mine, and will be a proper transfer, from film, and you'll have great picture quality and can read the music listings in the credit. You pays your money, you takes your chance. (The full listings SHOULD be online somewhere, but good luck.)

This movie is quintessentially Breakfast at Tiffany's for Generation X. I was so excited to find this DVD on here, since it is no longer being produced. Parker Posey and the rest of the cast offer quirky fun from beginning to end.

Funny, Funny, Funny! In her own weird twisted way, Parker Posy is a Doris Day or a Sandra Dee for the 90's. She always has great clothes ... enough cash to be decadent,lotsa friends... but never a real job ... oh well!

She is consistently charmimg in everything (except Frisk) and if any of ever had someone reorganize your records from BPMs ... you will understand the most of this... well!

BTW: I once had someone alphabetize my records ... I almost lost it!

A really fun, multi-watchable movie.