Steve D
Poesy makes it a lot of fun.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
09/16/23
Full Review
Matthew D
Parker Posey astonishes with her hilariously quirky humor and lovable personality.
Director Daisy von Scherler Mayer's romantic screwball comedy Party Girl (1995) is a bizarre time capsule of the 90's with erratic characters, offbeat humor, funny references, and a unique style all its own. I adored Parker Posey as the down on her luck heroine Mary. Party Girl feels like a riff on Audrey Hepburn's Breakfast at Tiffany's meets a Cary Grant screwball comedy. I can see Party Girl having an influence on later comedies like Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, Legally Blonde, or Uptown Girls. Party Girl is playful with a 90's charm and chaos from the killer dance music soundtrack to the mesmerizing mismatched clothes that are to die for on Parker Posey.
Writers Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Harry Birckmayer, and Sheila Gaffney write a cute romantic comedy relationship, dumb girl proves she's a smart and capable young lady narrative, and tons of fun side stories for the supporting cast. Party Girl should be seen for Parker Posey, but she's also delivering these crazy written lines that are clever, hip, and refreshingly manic. They both praise the efficiency and mock the sexist intentions and simplicity of the Dewey Decimal System. I like how they use it as an organizational tool, comedy gag, and a metric for how disorganized Mary's life is in the beginning to how she matures currently in the end.
Casting director Caroline Sinclair did a great job getting Parker Posey as Party Girl's lovable lead actress and finding playful guys in the supporting cast. I appreciate how diverse the cast is too with white, black, hispanic, and arabic actors and actresses throughout Party Girl.
Parker Posey is a scream as the broke socialite as aspiring fashion designer Mary, forced to be a librarian for cash, until she realizes that's what she wants. She feels earnest in her quest for a serious and satisfying career, while also seeking passionate love and understanding. Parker is so strange, but I really love her bubbly personality, weird line delivery, and sweet sincerity. She delivers hilarious sarcastic comments, crazy singing, playful dancing, flirty one liners. Posey is one of my all time favorite actresses. Parker Posey and Reese Witherspoon are the funniest actresses of the 1990's, so it's a sheer delight to see her be a funny lead heroine in her own screwball romantic comedy. Parker is simply drop dead gorgeous, adorably cute, fashionable, and hysterical in Party Girl.
Anthony DeSando is hilarious as Mary's sarcastic gay clothes designer friend Derrick. Guillermo Díaz is a riot as the sympathetic DJ Leo. His crazed searching for vinyl and desperately seeking a club gig is fun like his flirting with Nicole Bobbitt's pretty dancer Venus. Donna Mitchell's alcoholic club owner and Motorhead fan Rene is a real scene stealer. Liev Schreiber is excellent as the pathetic English loser Nigel, who is both a bartender and bouncer for Rene's happening club. He's such a creep.
Omar Townsend is super endearing as the sincere romantic hero Mustafa. His falafel vendor and aspiring teacher make for an unusual and original romantic comedy partner for Parker Posey's quirky Mary. Sasha von Scherler is great as the mean and judgmental librarian Judy Lindendorf. Her dismissive godmother to Mary is a neat foil for Parker to bounce Mary's frustrations out on in Party Girl. Becky Mode is another fun foil as Ann. I liked Simon Verhoeven's appearance as Kurt too. All the other dancers are fun to watch in the clubs with their spirited dancing.
Editor Cara Silverman does a great job with providing a brisk pace and tight cut for Party Girl's slick 94 minutes. She does not waste a moment getting to the next oddball joke or cute romantic encounter. She'll slickly splice together dance montages, furious asides for Mary's frustrations, playful flirting, to Mary's fervent book sorting in the library. Cinematographer Michael Slovis gets really creative with his spinning and panning shots. His close-ups on Parker are lovely and captivating, but I kept getting surprised by his inventive camera perspectives and movements throughout Party Girl. It's quite well shot.
Production designer Kevin Thompson's spacious apartments, square library, and dingey nightclubs make New York come alive with a 90's flair. Set decorator Jennifer Baime's colorful set decoration leaves records, philosophy books, and designer clothes everywhere. Composer Anton Sanko's music is perky with lively music for each scene. I really was pleased with the eclectic 90s dance soundtrack. It's such an accurate time capsule for the mid 90's popular songs you'd actually hear in a dance club then. I screamed with joy when Deee-Lite started playing during Leo's DJ set!
Costume designer Michael Clancy's outrageous outfits for Parker Posey are practically a character in Party Girl. Every shot of Parker sees her in a new colorful, mismatched ensemble of designer shirts and dresses. Parker's long brunette bangs and straight black hair looks amazing. She makes for a chic librarian by the end.
In all, Party Girl is a vivacious comedy and sweet romance story led by a bubbly Parker Posey in a magnetic heroine performance!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
04/06/23
Full Review
Karl O
Unwatchable performances. After watching a lot of flapping around I quit after 10 minutes. Charmless and terribly dated.
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
03/26/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This might be one of those films that still gets added to my collection even though it lacks a good story, interesting themes, etc. but because it is still fairly likable and brimming with the atmosphere of a niche underground and probably bygone culture. Parker Posey is obviously the film's main highlight.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/20/23
Full Review
C.C. R
Parker Posey is perfect in this role. The soundtrack is great too.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
08/17/22
Full Review
Audience Member
Parker Posey stars as an all-nighter, Mary in the big city but her life seems to be going nowhere for the most part
because of a recent rave she hosts Mary ends up getting arrested and must find a way to pay for her income as well as her lifestyle
she decides to get a job as a librarian and prove she can actually make something for herself
Omar Townsend plays a charming Lebanon food vendor who takes quite the liking towards her, being a teacher he can't go any further
Mary's life pretty much plays out like a library of books that's out of order; if it isn't organized the system falls apart as does everything around her
Maybe working as a librarian will help run some of the intelligent literacy Mary desperately needs, she's so worried she's not qualified for anything she may end up like her mother
Even her Aunt Judy nudges her to absorb some education to stop ruining her life filled with mistakes and excessive partying
It's only after Mary gets a taste of reality she switches from the all-nighters to focusing on acquiring life skills
Yes we can stay out all night but sooner or later we have to set goals for ourselves down the line, life can still be a party as long as we can still teach ourselves what others can teach, most librarians who are women have fought long and hard to make the establishment organized but also accessible to everyone willing to learn
This is Parker Posey's movie truly being an inspiration for any young woman or person to be something wanting to not be lost in life
She is a diva but also somebody not completely devoid of capable thought and higher-learning
It's hip, sexy, filled with rocking beats of the era, and has a lesson of books opening up our minds to passions and dreams that would rarely come to us on our own
Posey is a lot of fun and so full of energy in this early indie flick
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/22/23
Full Review
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