When the Party's Over (1993)
Four housemates try to find love and happiness in Los Angeles -- often at the expense of their well-being and friendships. Artist Amanda is trying to make it on the gallery scene, while aspiring actor Banks attempts to hit it big in Hollywood. Meanwhile, Frankie has an emotionally draining yet rewarding job as a social worker, but would be shattered to know that her roommate M.J. is sleeping with her boyfriend.
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Sorry, this movie sucks
A Major Disappointment
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Good movie, easy to follow, but enough depth to stay focused. There's no clearly outlined story here, just a glimpse of the life of a group of friends finding their way in a big and individualistic world. The characters are believable, and the sketch of the absurdity of Hollywood wannabee life is entertaining and over the right top. Bullock is OK, but I cannot see real exquisite marvel in her eyes. Chong and Berridge are very good and the parts of Mr. Midnight and the little brother serve as welcome optimistic counter figures.All in all this movie can be seen as a high-quality soap opera in that it manages to plant an entire season's drama in just 110 minutes and the emotional perceptions are almost authentic. To top that we receive some profound glances of the whims and fancies of human personality and the attitude on life.
Other than seeing a young Sandra Bullock looking cute in a film that was made before she was a star, there is not a lot of positive things I can say. Several young people share an apartment, joined together by Rae Dawn Chong's character, MJ (that in itself should be a tipoff because I cannot remember a Chong movie post-Commando). Tensions mount at the big party and MJ's self-destructive personality causes the friends to break up when the party ends including a couple that just got engaged during the party.There are some uncomfortable scenes such as when Bullock's 16 year old brother jumps into bed with MJ and says that she will be the one to "deflower" him and then immediately falls asleep. Basically, the movie had the same effect on me!
I didn't come out of watching this movie very satisfied. Nor did I feel I wasted time. It was an interesting few hours spent looking into the lives of these characters. They were not well-developed, or necessarily consistent. Personally, I think the story would have been better off starting where the movie ended. There were late night chats that seemed to be thrown in for effect, but did not necessarily have continuity with the day's events. All-in-all, if you're a fan of Sandra Bullock or Fischer Stevens and like seeing actors early in their careers (or in some cases, the height) it's a relaxing, non-challenging way to spend time. Worth a watch if nothing else on and you don't want to clean the house or think too hard.
This medium depth examination of the lives and inter-relationships of a group of upwardly mobile young friends sharing a house will be of most interest to fans of Rae Dawn Chong and Sandra Bullock although the unattractive Alexander Midnight (played with flair and verve by Fisher Stevens) is by far the scene stealer and a very interesting and complex character.A worth while watch with a timely message\moral.