Blake Edwards at his best, "The Party" is farcical masterpiece featuring the inimitable Peter Sellers.
A humble Indian bit part actor, somewhat prone to clumsiness, is accidentally invited to, and unleashed upon, a lavish Hollywood party. His innocent presence sets off chain reactions of comedic mishaps as he unwittingly disrupts the carefully curated social gathering. It's a simple setup, that allows us to see in pure form what Sellers and Edwards can do, without need of a plot. "The Party" has an experimental feels to it. Just the same, Sellers's portrayal is nothing short of brilliant, capturing the character's befuddled innocence and his unique ability to wreak havoc.
"The Party" is filled with colorful characters, outrageous situations, slapstick humor and dripping with late '60s modernism, color, fashion and style. The film perfectly balances chaotic energy with moments of desperate awkwardness. The ensemble cast only adds to the the comedic chaos. Fun for the whole family...
Audiences in 1968 where already familiar with the more character driven Inspector Clouseau vehicles (by and large superior films) as "The Party" came out right in the middle of that series. In fact Sellers appeared as Clouseau in another release that very year. That's surprising considering the clear parallels in comic stylings and definitely something that wouldn't happen today.
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