I love discovering indie films that surpass the quality of their garish counterparts. A grand case in point is "The Dinner Party", directed by Marco Capalbo and written by Eric Gorlow. It may not sound edgy (and other productions do sport the same name), but its unpretentious title fits it to an unnerving, ironic tee.
The film stars Kelly Decker, aka Kelly Kitko of "Loon Lake" fame, who produced it with Capalbo and Gorlow. As in "Loon Lake", Decker displays a range of convincing reactions, in this instance playing Sima, a woman who prepares a home-dinner date for a poet named Jack (Nick Holmes). Per her opening narration, Sima is obsessed with Jack and yearns for a richer relationship with him: something that will set her further apart from the banality of everyday life, something that will perhaps make her life perfect.
Her plans are derailed when her brother, Calvin (Gorlow) and his girlfriend, Bridget (Erica Rhodes) show up unannounced before Jack's arrival. It's obvious that Sima and Calvin harbor a strained relationship. Though she insists that the couple leave, Jack soon appears and out of politeness suggests the two remain. What then ensues is a mixing and clashing of personalities, in which Sima's obsession with Jack takes an alarming turn.
The disintegration of Sima's mental state makes "Dinner Party" identifiable to anyone who's lost an impassioned opportunity by cruel circumstance. In this lies the film's brilliance, for it expertly transforms a common mishap (what appears to be at most and worst an uneasy gathering) into a calamity of no return.
Decker's performance ignites the emotional action. She's sexy, vulnerable and intense, injecting Capalbo/Gorlow's concept with all the subtle oddness that it requires. And once her ulterior intent (her spice of insanity) is exposed, Decker cements Sima's fate with a sublime deftness that most actresses can only dream of achieving.
Gorlow is great, too, as her self-indulgent brother, rendering a character who at one moment makes us snicker and the next sparks our rage. Holmes is equally effective as the level-headed Jack, who establishes enough erudite affability to make us fear for his welfare. Rhodes' Bridget buffers her companions with just the right, perky doubt to build a convincing air of worry: a character who might have been dismissed as mere ornamentation, but instead projects empathetic credibility.
"Dinner Party" also grafts elements of "Psycho", "Rope", "Kissed", "May" and "Fatal Attraction" to its credit. Its common-day "horror" is strengthened by Capalbo's grim angles and sinister score, as well as Paul Fenkart's cozy but melancholic photography. The culmination works. Like fine wine, I've no doubt that "Dinner Party" will age well, attracting enough fans to become a cult classic.
For those interested, "Dinner Party" is now available for purchase or rental via Amazon Prime. Trust me, it's well worth the psychological time and investment.
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